So I think I've reached the point in my life where it's perfectly reasonable for people to ask me…read morethe question: "Do you have any children?" which I answer with "HHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" and grimace. Don't get me wrong; I love babies. Scratch that... I love very well-behaved happy babies from loving families, but these hips ain't birthing any little people in the next 10 years (sorry mom and dad... got things to do, places to see!). So I'm perfectly content being super cool Auntie Lex who spoils chubster babies with amazing gifts! With the arrival of two of the most adorable baby boys on this side of the pond, I was on a mission for quality baby clothing that was quirky as well. I didn't want run-of-the-mill Next or babyGap, and I didn't want anything cheap that would irritate the babies' skin. JoJo Maman Bébé is a Welsh multi-channel retailer (brick and mortar, and online) that just so happens to have a Glasgow outlet in the bustling West End. The shop has everything you would ever want if you are a mother-to-be (I wouldn't really know though, but I assume?) to pre-school age. Since I have been here a few times shopping for baby boys, they offer great selections of adorable quirky outfits (nautical stripes and pirates, yes please!). If you go at the right time, they have some pretty amazing sales as well. Service is friendly and very helpful, never pushy... Sales girl: How are you getting on? Me: I'm trying to buy something for a baby boy who is turning 1, and he weighs about 25 pounds... quite... uh... chunky. Sales girl: You mean well-fed? ::giggle:: Looks like he would be about a 12-18 month old size. Me: Thank you! If you're a mum... or someone like me who likes to spoil your friends' children, and wants to buy those little people in your life something else other than the drab and typical High Street stuff, then definitely pop into JoJo Maman Bébé the next time you're in the West End. p.s. They carry Mama Mio products - if this means anything to you, it's pretty amazing (read: cult-like) skincare products you can use whether or not you've pushed out a little person from your punani, HA!

Saturday was baby shopping day and no baby shopping is complete without a visit to Jo-Jo. Having…read morediscovered Jo-Jo in Edinburgh, I was pleased when a friend informed me one had just opened in the West End, just off Byres Road. Jo-Jo is a small chain, predominately based in England, stocking own brand baby (and small kids) and maternity clothes, as well as known brands such as Avent and Tommy Tippee for baby accessories. They are also a stockist of the excellent Mama Mio maternity cosmetics ('boob tube' and stretch mark cream) which becomes an addiction that must be fed according to my sis-in-law. A great shop - good for gifts and baby products and reasonably priced if you want something that is a bit 'more' than Next/Baby Gap. I have friends who love this shop and having helped my pregnant friend shop for a maternity wardrobe, their clothes for 'mum to be' are great and if you time it right, you can grab a fab sale bargain as their clothes cover everything from casual to work staples.

Helpful, friendly staff, a brilliant selection of childrens wear. I bought a "new baby" gift and…read morethought it was great value for money - Ill shop there again soon!

From the owner: Beautiful and unusual clothing, toys and accessories for babies, boys and girls, aged 0-10yrs…read more Brands include Mayoral, FC Kids, Dolls and Dirt, Aden and Anais, Skip Hop, Manhattan Toys. Bright, fun and full of personality, just like the little person that wears them.

Oh how I wish this sale existed when I was expecting my twins, I could have saved a fortune! This…read moreis a brilliant idea that everyone with children or expecting a baby should know about. Forget every concept of car boot / jumble sale stereo type image you may have. This is a slick operation with real mums and dads selling their own nearly new children's and baby items at unbelievable prices. The organisers have high standards as to what can be sold so there is no junk allowed. The table cost me £22 and I made over £300 selling my kids toys, books and clothes. There was a lovely atmosphere and Everyone had put a lot of effort into making their stalls look as attractive as possible Entry fee for buyers was £1 and there was roughly about 24 stalls and a 'large items gallery' which show cases prams, cots large toys etc as well as a cafe stall selling excellent home baking and hot drinks. Spread the word and check it out either as a seller or buyer, you are sure to pick up some amazing bargains.

With a wide range of pretty household gifts and sugary sweet baby accessories, there are no prizes…read morefor guessing the clientele aimed at by Elements in Cresswell Lane. In many ways, the beautifully-presented shop is a microcosm of the lane in its current incarnation as a whole; quirky and alternative, chic and pricey. Given the amount of similar businesses in the city (Felix and Oscar, Papyrus etc...), a shop like this has to be good if it's going to survive, and thankfully this one is. Devoid of the David Brent-esque silliness prevalent in many of its competitors, Elements exudes a little more class and concentrates solely on stocking pretty items which actually have some sort of use as well. Again, like most of its Cresswell Lane buddies, it's not a shop for me, but nor is it trying to be.

Elements kinda sums up Creswell Lane shopping in DeCourcy's arcade - it's yummy mummy central,…read morewhich isn't necessarily a bad thing, however, it might be bad if you're on a budget. This shop has everything! I love just looking round it and in all the 'nooks and crannies' - absolutely everything you see is for sale! It's soooo cute! And it sells those really nice scented candles - you know, the Lily-Frame candles... they're amazing! It has loads of gift ideas, and homewares, from baby clothes to aprons, cake platters to diamantee picture frames and all the rest. It's all quirky, cute and retro. I can easily kill time in there... it's tiny and adorable. I might do a Verrucca Salt and just say: I want everything in it, and I want it now!

On the last Sunday of every month, the Argyll Hotel on Sauchiehall Street plays host to the 'Granny…read moreWould be Proud' vintage fair. Round about the week before, you'll probably encounter a few well dressed vintage-y looking ladies handing out flyers on Byres Road. I usually completely ignore the flyers that people try to give to me in the street, but luckily I did take notice of this one! The fair is held in the bar of the hotel, as well as in a few of the larger rooms upstairs. It is a bit of a squeeze all round -especially as it's usually really busy - but it is worth battling the crowds. At the fair you'll find mainly vintage clothing stalls - at all price ranges. Some are authentic vintage, and some are handmade in vintage styles. I also fell rather in love with some handmade patchwork pillows and checked bunting. There was some extremely cute handmade baby gear on sale too which is definitely worth a mention. As well as clothes, you'll find stalls and stalls of jewelry. Most of it is handmade; my two favourite jewelry stalls were selling painted glass pendants and necklaces made out of old clock cogs! If you're feeling a little peckish after all that vintage-rummaging, the fair has its own little teashop in the seating area of the bar. Here you'll find lots of tea and dainty cupcakes. The Granny Would Be Proud craft fair is definitely worth a visit. There are some real bargains on sale (I got a sequined belt for £1, yes, £1!). It's also just a great outing on a Sunday afternoon - perfect for if you fancy doing something a little different.

I love Granny's Fairs!…read more I have been first as a buyer and more recently as a seller. Its a amazing wee hove of crafty treasures. As a seller the organisers are so helpful and have a genuine love and interest in all the stalls. I felt totally relaxed in the laid back environment they create. GWBP is more than a vintage market, it is a amazing little platform for independent designers, makers and crafty folk to get their good's out on display.

For a real flavour of how Mackintosh and his wife Margaret McDonald so radically transformed the…read moreart scene, I would recommend a visit to The Tenement House in Garnethill (which will show you what Glasgow tenements were like in Victorian days) before coming here. It is near-impossible to imagine that this interior started out as a typical Glasgow tenement on nearby Southpark Avenue, such is the transformation that they wrought on it. Moving from the typical dark Stygian Victorian décor to this wonderful temple of light that they created was a quantum leap in interior design that still resonates even today. The actual house was demolished as it was thought to be unstable when the University were building next to it - however it turned out to be not as bad as was originally thought and could have been saved, which leaves the University in something of a questionable position to say the least. It is rather ironic then that this specially-built extension to the Hunterian Art Gallery, constructed solely to house the interiors of the Mackintosh house, is now in such a parlous state of disrepair itself that it is going to have to be dismantled and moved to the new Kelvin Hall museum extension where it is not going to enjoy the wonderful natural light and east-facing views that it currently has. Mackintosh's interiors are all about the light - how it can be introduced and channelled into the space. He installed extra windows in the south wall of the house and in the hallway used a mirror to spread the light around the otherwise dark wooden walls. Little arrays of square stained glass pieces (something of a Mackintosh trademark) catch your eye when the light is behind them. In the main living area, the transom in front of the bay window is dropped to just above head height, which seems very counter-intuitive until you see how this matches up with the height of the doors, the dropped picture rail, the new side window, and the opening knocked through to the back room (yes, this is not a modern idea!). It completely changes the proportions of the space and focuses the light where it is needed. The house contains the Mackintoshs' own furniture - all to their design of course - and there are some wonderfully quirky pieces, such as the small wooden chair with the heart- (or buttock-) shaped depression on the seat that looks so inviting. The large high-sided box chair (surely inspired by Orkney chairs) looks as though it would be very cosy on a draughty winter's day. I also loved his personal writing cabinet in the rear space, which with its doors open looks almost like a small Japanese lady in a kimono; Mackintosh, along with several other of his fellow artists, at the time, was heavily influenced by Japanese design that was just starting to make an appearance in the West. I could continue to wax lyrical about the Mackintosh house as I love it so much, but there is also the main Hunterian Art Gallery to consider. Personally I find this rather overshadowed by the Mackintosh house, yet it is a fine collection and there are some notable works by Rubens, Rembrandt and Chardin as well as the Scottish Colourists and Glasgow Boys. It also has the largest collection anywhere of works by American artist James McNeill Whistler. The Art Gallery is free, although they sometimes charge for special exhibitions, but there is a small charge (£5) for entry to the Mackintosh House. Get there early on a sunny morning (it opens at 10am, 11am on Sundays) for the best experience.

I visited today to see the excellent Ingenious Impressions, an exhibition of some of the earliest…read moreprinted books from the 1400s onwards. It's on until 21st June 2015 and I think I'll be back again because it was fascinating and there were so many books to look at. The University of Glasgow has an outstanding collection of paintings, books, artefacts and many many other things. Much of it is from William Hunter's collection hence the Hunterian Art Gallery and Museum but there are many other collectors who have sold or gifted amazing things to the uni. And now we get to see it all FOR FREE! This is what blows me away about the art galleries and museums in this fine city. The Hunterian Art Gallery has a wonderful collection of paintings with many works by Whistler. I'm not very knowledgeable about Art History but I love wandering round here in the afternoon, it's peaceful and interesting. It doesn't attract many children or families in the way that Kelvingrove does so you can get around without dodging hectic toddlers! The Mackintosh House is a must see and they run regular short tours throughout the day. I would quite like to live in the White Room if that could be made possible?! The only thing I don't like about the Hunterian is that the building is a bit dated, I think it opened in the 80s and hasn't changed much since. Other than that it's a great place to visit if you're in the area and interested in art and painting.

Awesome selection. For such a small intimate store. Snacks and tea and chats. The owner/operator is…read morea lovely human with great conversation. I'm so happy we stopped here on our visit to Scotland.

In the West End and longing for cake, I remembered sampling the Yarn Cake's delicious baked treats…read moreat an elite event last year. No sooner where we headed to the home of yarn and cake, for tea and accompanying sweet things. I can't remember the last time I received as warm a welcome as Antje gave us. She welcomed us like old friends, past the multitude of yarn, and into her wonderful emporium of loose tea and fresh cakes at the back. The Yarn Cake smelled delicious; fresh and sweet. It's size certainly makes for a real cosey feel. - Warm and snug! We had come for tea and cake and we'd certainly come to the right place! You want tea but you don't know which one? Have a smell of this, a smell of that. So much loose tea, how could I possibly choose?! I went for an Oolong. - Partly because it's nice to say (Oooooolong) but also because I'd never tried it before. My pot of Oolong was delicious and Antje even kindly offered to re-fill my teapot if I so wished! Now, the main event. - The cake! Quite simply, delicious. I loved my slice of pear and marzipan cake. Simple and sweet and light. Perfection. It really was a bargain and we left smiling from our sweetness fix. Just how tea and cake should be. If I ever take up knitting, I know where I want to be practicing.

MON 2ND FEBRUARY 2026:…read more I AM UPDATING THIS PERIODICALLY TO NOT LET YOU FORGET THE NASTY EXPERIENCE YOU PUT ME THROUGH, AND MY PARTNER WHO CAME WITH ME AND WITNESSED ALL OF THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN US WHEN I HANDED MY GOODS TO YOU. YOU AS A BUSINESS NEED A BASIC LESSON IN HOW TO TREAT ALL OF YOUR CUSTOMERS FAIRLY AND WITH RESPECT. I RE-EMPHASISE THE WORD 'ALL' HERE. MY NEXT STEP WILL BE TO PUBLISH RIGHT HERE(AND ON GOOGLE REVIEWS) THE CONTACT YOU GUYS MADE WITH ME THROUGH FACEBOOK MESSENGER, SHOWING SCREENSHOTS DATES AND TIMES, AND THE APPALLING MANNER THAT YOU COMMUNICATED WITH ME. I'LL SHOW YOU HOW EFFECTIVELY USED REALLY QUITE DODGY LANGUAGE, AND WERE VERGING ON THREATENING. YOU ARE DODGY AND I AM GOING TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF IT. UPDATE 19TH SEPTEMBER 2025: NOTE HERE THE DISTINCT LACK OF RESPONSE FROM LOUD AND CLEAR TO THIS REVIEW. NO REBUTTAL WHATSOEVER, AND NOT EVEN ANY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ANY SORT. THIS TRULY SPEAKS VOLUMES AND JUST HOW LITTLE THEY CARE TO EVEN DEFEND IN ANYWAY THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH ME. I've had to alter this review to reflect exactly what happened with Loud & Clear; I gave them my LP12 turntable 1.2 years ago and I asked them for nothing more than to let me know what was wrong with it(if possible), and this was given that I had only just purchased it and that it was still covered by the purchase from the business I bought it through. Instead though, L&C decided to just repair it instead without consulting me on this first. In doing this repair though, they effectively voided any warranty I had with the company that I purchased it through, even though this was a secondhand TT. Really not very good ultimately. Even so, I was grateful for the 'free repair', although I had no choice when my partner and I turned up to pick it up. So, I was told there was no charge for the repair, but I was also given no receipt and also given no details on what was actually repaired, and still to this day I do not know because they have not told me. The TT was simply handed back to me in what I realise now was some kind of golden handshake. 1 year later I find that I owe them(so they've told me via Facebook messenger) because they did me a favour by repairing it a year ago. So, let me reiterate here to them and for you the public to see; I DID NOT REQUEST A REPAIR FROM YOUR BUSINESS, BUT YOU WENT AHEAD AND CARRIED ONE OUT ANYWAY!!! Oh, I was also told not to go back to their shop recently via messenger, even though only that same day I had purchased an LP12 tonearm board from them, but that clearly wasn't ample in their estimations of what I owed them for the repair that has never been detailed. The reason I was told not to go back, was that I had decided to go with John their ex-turntable technician, and this was to fully service my LP12 and place a new tonearm on it. Even so, I found out that they told him not to entertain me either or to set it up for me. So, a guy entirely independent of them and their business now and doesn't know me, couldn't service my turntable because of contact they made with him. I mean, talk about dodgy and slightly mafioso! Not only do you play a bit dirty Loud&Clear, but you have a true brass neck telling me not to come back there. You took it upon yourselves to repair something without being asked to, and that I had clearly stated to you was still covered after my recent purchase of the item. In short, you have taken a liberty with me and you know it, and this is whether or not this repair was carried out gratis. I'm curious though, but in your companies' eyes, did that mean that the new goods I purchased from you on this same day, aren't/weren't covered under the Sale Of Goods Act/Consumer rights Act? Were the records I bought too not good enough a gesture when you put it upon me that you had repaired the turntable instead of letting me know what the actual issue was? SHARP PRACTICE!!! Let me know the next time you want to spit the dummy out of the hifi pram, and then bad mouth me and effectively blacklist me from other repairers. I'll go to Jack at The Music Room, or to somewhere else that doesn't play dirty or act cliquish after taking liberties with customers. Avoid this place unless you're willing to potentially be dealing with men who can be clearly unfair, and who act like children sometimes! PS If anyone would like a screenshot of the communication between myself and his little business, let me know and I'll post it here. It makes for some sober reading and especially the part where I offer to pay money to them for a repair that I never asked to be carried out. The response of 'Too late' is priceless.

We've used Loud & Clear a fair few times over the last year or so as we have been planning out a…read morecinema room in our house, so this review is based on their advice and paid for services in relation to that. We are not yet at the stage where we have purchased any equipment from them. You can kind of tell as soon as you walk in that this is high end shop, there's not a lot of equipment on display in the front end of the shop and what is there is big and shiny and expensive looking! The staff are very friendly and happy to chat if you just pop in, but if you need some detailed help I advise phoning in advance and arranging an appointment. They have demo rooms at the back of the store, so you can see and hear some of the equipment, which is clearly very useful. They do stock certain brands though, so clearly they will try their best to make these fit your requirments but I think most places would be the same as they can't stock and be experts on every single speaker manufacturer. We used them to create a bespoke wiring diagram for our cinema room, which they did for a fee, and we were happy with. The only slight niggle is that there was no height specified for the wall speakers and on a follow up call the advice they gave didn't seem to make sense given the dimensions of the room. It turns out it was a mix up (they were looking at the wrong drawings as the original person who helped us has sadly left the business) but we did get an answer in the end. They offer a full fit out service which includes set up and teaching you how to use the system, if like me you would need that! A really good Glasgow business.