WHSmith is one of the most famous bookshops in the world (they're mentioned in Monty Python's 'Book…read moreShop Sketch' for crying out loud!) so it's a bit disappointing when you find out just what tat is on the shelves here. Maybe tat is the wrong word. All the books here are of a very high quality. The covers are pristine, the photography is excellent and the general feel of each book is akin to lifting the Holy Grail. It's just a shame the actual content is terrible. It's a basic fact that 904% of all books published today have their origins in television. They're all either companion guides to the latest reality cack, cookery books from smarmy TV chefs or turgid autobiographies from washed-up soapstars. The stationery is still great though. I could buy it all day before realising nothing I do in life necessitates the purchasing of stationery, sadly.

Sure Smiths is good for books, but they only have a limited selection and a lot of these are either…read moreTV, cookery or chick lit based. With the occasional crime section spliced in! But what Smith's are really good at is stocking magazines on every subject available to humanity. 'Treasures of the Earth'. 'Surf UK', 'Gun Collector', 'True Crime', 'the Beano', 'TV Weekly'. These are just some of the titles that litter the shelves in most Smith's outlets. They also sell a range of confectionary, sometimes including 'Toblerone', which one would normally associate with airports or shit holidays! I'm surpised this shop is still going after Woolworths went down the Swanny! However, fair play to them as they seemed to have affiliated with the Post Office now, meaning you can get your 'True Crime' mag, your Toblerone and your travel insurance all under one roof!

Ryman in the Manchester Arndale is A-OK, specialising in stationary, they have a great deal of…read moreofficey items (pens, lever arch files, printers, USB sticks), some of their prices are a little higher than average but this is eased slightly by their Student discount. The selection is pretty good, the selection of printers is smaller but with Currys PC World, nearby, no longer stocking them in-store, it is one of the few bricks and mortar stores nearby with physical stock. I find some of the staff to be a little rude, and sometimes I just wish I'd have ordered on Amazon at a cheaper price, that being said the store is easier on the eye than other stationery stores which I find to be often a little messy, and the selection is good, so if you do need stationery in a hurry, this store isn't too bad and the location is convenient being on the upper floor of the Manchester Arndale, next to the old Specsavers unit, which was taken over by Foot Locker. 3*

Isn't it funny how so many people claim to love stationery but hardly anyone can spell it? Even…read moreotherwise flawless spellers seem to confuse stationery and stationary. I was always taught the spelling by the rule, 'e' is for envelope. Alongside envelopes expect to find diaries, calendars, folders, paper, printer cartridges, pens, highlighters, Tippex, Post It notes, blank CDs and pretty much every other item of stationery you'd need in the office or at university. They don't sell larger objects such as office furniture and printers, as it is really only a tiny little shop.

This branch of WH Smith's is situated in Liverpool ONE. It is bright, clean and air conditioned,…read morewhich is a godsend in the summer. Downstairs they have books and magazines although the range is not as big as their other store on Church Street. The staff will order a book for you if they do not have it in stock. Upstairs they have a good range of stationary for school, college, university and just general use. They have branded ranges such as Hello Kitty, and their own budget range of stationary. There is also a Post Office branch on this floor which is now the only branch in the city centre, the nearest branch being in the business district. It is only small but has lots of cashier desks which are all open when it is busy. This is a small but perfectly formed store which is excellent.

Since the Paradise Street Project in 2008, WHSmith was another one of those shops which transferred…read moreto the new Liverpool One shopping area. I have always been a shopper of WHSmith and I always will be despite the fact that I think it was more conveniently located back in 2008 on Church Street (now where River Island is). Its current location serves two small floors with the Post Office a trek upstairs in the same building. Most of the time I need to visit Smith's or the Post Office for some reason or another whether it's to use their photo-me vendor or to buy stamps. Personally, I feel this is a terrible move for WHSmith and the Post Office as both have decreased in space and situated further away from the main walkways. They have attempted to "kill two birds with one stone" but for me, this has backfired. Their new format has certainly taken time to get used to.

A surprisingly large branch of WH Smith the shop front isn't huge and I'd expected it to be small…read moreinside, but not so as it goes back a long way! There's a large range of books, stationery and greetings cards, plus all the magazines and newspapers you'd expect. There are toys too and confectionery, but the best thing about this store (for me at least) was the lovely friendly staff who couldn't have been more helpful. As well as assisting me to find the things I wanted in the store, they also gave me directions to other shops in the town.

You can't go wrong with Blythes. A Manchester art student staple, this store has saved me countless…read moretimes. The staff in here are extremely knowledegable and will even order in special materials and papers if they're out of stock. They've got just about type of paint from Winsor to Newton and Rembrandt paints, brushes, chalks, gouaches, water colours and graphic supplies and a large range of papers and canvases. I've bought specialist 300gsm paper in here for a menu project and special mounting glue. I had help with the measuring and cutting free of charge and advice of mounting my images. I highly recommend this store.

Blyth Art Shop…read more Blyth's Art Shop seems like a serious sort of art shop for serious sort of artists. Everything is very ordered, neat and clinical. They've got great ranges of paints, pencils and pens, as well as a downstairs section with artist accessories like folders, paper and even natural light bulbs so you can paint in natural light late into the night. There's two or three staff around to help you with any queries you might have in my experience they've usually got the time and patience to help you out properly. I can't help feeling that Fred Aldous across Stevenson square isn't just lots more fun, more well stocked and generally more exciting though.

WHSmith is certainly a staple of the British high street, it seems there are very few towns and…read morecities in the country to lack a WHSmith store. It's a brand you pretty much expect to find wherever you go. This store fits that quota, it's nothing too exciting/different, it's your typical, average WHSmith. The store is a little dark, and while it isn't as modern as some of their newer stores, the store isn't as old-fashioned as some of their older ones which aren't very easy on the eye either. It is in a good location within Bolton town centre, it is a couple of minutes away from most shops in the town centre as well as Bolton Interchange. The prices are a little high, but they do have a satisfactory selection of books/drinks, nothing too impressive but if you're thirsty in town and looking for a quick beverage or to put on your lottery, without much of a queue and/or without having to go into a larger store such as one of the nearby supermarkets, this isn't too bad. The staff seemed friendly enough. 3*

Three floors! Three floors of... stuff! I don't know that I have ever been in a WHSmith that…read morespans three floors. Although three floors doesn't necessarily mean that it is bigger or contains more stock than the average WHSmith. Actually, it feels a bit cluttered... when we walked in it actually felt a bit like a location of The Works rather than a WHSmith. We didn't go upstairs, but the main floor has magazines, cards, stationary while the bottom floor has books. We were actually there looking for books and while they have a decent selection, it isn't as large as some of the other stores I have been to. Also if you have a large shopping bag or back pack, you may want to watch turning around and moving about as some of the spots in the store are quite narrow. It can be difficult to find a staff member, especially if you are on the bottom floor and the staff are on the other floors. I only saw stairs to access the other floors, so I'm not sure if it is accessible for all customers.

I love this shop everything sparkles. I have a pen from the shop and love it I just need to buy…read morerefills for it which cost £1 so not to bad staff are friendly.

If you're passing this shop, it's definitely worth a window shop just to see how the other-half can…read moreafford these beautiful crystal jewellery where you can be paying about £5000 for certain things inside the store. The suited up staff and atmosphere within the place make you feel rich and expensive even when you're not!

The Bankrupt Shop is fab, it's like a big jumble sale but without the junk. This store is quite…read morelarge ad stock all sorts of furniture like nests of tables and chairs and stools, ornaments and mirrors and photo frames as well as soft furnishings: curtains cushions, throws and of course masses of material for the haberdashers amongst us. The prices are reasonable, although "bankrupt" implies something on par with poundland, its not quite that cheap, but you'll find a bargain. I'm not sure whether a delivery servce is available as lots of the items are quite large and bulky I should think there would be.