This is quite a bizarre shop located in Old Market, close to the Lawrence Hill roundabout/underpass…read moreon your way to Redfield. It's packed (and I mean actually full to brim, up over your head and everywhere you look, with little space to manoeuvre other than a couple of feet from the door) with vintage and modern guitar/bass cabinets, amplifiers and PA speakers. There is also a smattering of second-hand guitars, basses and stompboxes available, too, but it's the amplifiers that you'll want to check out here. Need a rare Marshall stack that was covered in limited-edition green leather, or something of that nature? This is the place to go. The ageing hippy-rocker who runs the place is a fountain of knowledge on amplifiers and cabinets, plus how to repair them if you ever run into problems, so you can be sure that every second-hand item is fully serviced and ready to rock. This shop is a Bristol gem.

Stokes Croft is a sliver of land between the suburbs Kingsdown and Bishopston and inner city St…read more Pauls. It's definitely not the prettiest of areas. In fact it's pretty grey and depressing, with a fair few boarded up shops and a constant stream of cars roaring through on their way home or into the centre of Bristol. Possibly because people want to counter the dullness of the place some amazing grafitti has popped up here, which the grandly named People's Republic of Stokes Croft have claimed responsibility for. Some of the murals are beautiful (which of course are liable to change or get wiped out by the council without any notice) and I think it's a brave attempt to bring a little colour to what is a drab part of Bristol. There isn't yet a walking tour, but I can imagine one popping up - Bristol's urban art has been attracting a lot of interest recently. It's easy enough to see the sites by one's self though - a wonder along Jamaica Street and the road Stokes Croft itself should mean you see a few interesting sites. Their website reveals them as a fairly serious bunch. They have maps, ambitions to be some sort of official community group, and a mission statement that says they want to promote Stokes Croft as a 'cultural quarter'. I hope they go from strength to strength and continue to brighten up Stokes Croft. That their chairman Chris Chalkley was arrested for painting a 'Welcome to Stokes Croft' sign shows they've got a way to go before everyone comes round to this view.

Stokes Croft: a gift and a curse to Bristol's culture. On one hand, this area of town is dodgy as…read morethey come, with antisocial behaviour and crime, this is a threatening place to be if you're alone and feeling vulnerable, especially towards the St James Roundabout. On the other hand, Stokes Croft is a gem. Full of artists and musicians, businesses like venues, cafes and arts centres are rapidly growing, what with Hamilton House, the Left Bank Centre, Metropolis and Cafe Kino all newly developing. When I miss Bristol, I miss places like Stokes Croft, but also can feel a little unsafe walking around there. It's definitely worth a visit. This is Bristol as much as Clifton is.

This is one of the highlights of Bristols social calendar, and it's free! Usually around the first…read moreweek in July, St Pauls Carnival brings all of the communities of Bristol together, with a colourful parade starring the local primary school children and other community organisations from noon onwards. Come down for the parade (usually around noon).The streets are buzzing, and the sound systems that adorn the streets (often in front gardens of houses) are loud and pumping. As soon as you enter the area you'll smell the Caribbean food delights of Jerk Chicken and Curried Goat coming from the local stalls dotted round the area, and the backstreet makeshift bars. It's always worth bringing some alcohol with you for the day, but if you do run a little low, and need to purchase, shop around a bit as you could pay as little as £2 a can (rather than the £4 some people were charging)...the choice will be...redstripe, thatchers, or rum punch...that's just kinda the way it is. The sound systems will be playing, reggae, house, drum n bass, dub, and will run until midnight, so after a chilled out day checking out the sights around the area, it's always fun to have a little dance in the street.

At the beginning of every July an explosion of colour, a riot of music and dance, and an all-night…read morerave in one of Bristol's most infamous neighbourhoods joins the city in community spirit (for one day, one night only). By day there's the colourful carnival parade with Brazil-style costumed performers dancing round St Pauls. It's all wholesome fun for all the family and a lot of local schools get involved. Portland Square is filled with jerk chicken stalls and various performances by big names such as circus school circomedia or small motley crews of hippies take place in the grassy park which forms the centre of the square. Throughout St Pauls there are concerts (hosted by local radio station Ujima FM) and various other eclectic forms of entertainment such as poetry readings and market stalls. By night things are very different. Massive soundsystems are rigged up on a few key streets and heavier sounds of drum and bass and jungle take over from where dub and reggae left off. The same carnivalesque spirit pervades, but things do get a little darker (and I'm not just talking about the level of light here). St Paul's carnival is one of the best days out Bristol has to offer. It also serves a social purpose in attracting residents from other neighbourhoods to a historically marginalised area, creating an inimitable spirit of fun and unity which transcends social and cultural boundaries.

Cancer Research This charity shop probably is the best on…read moreGloucester Road for the quality of the donations they receive. Whenever I flick through their rails I've often come across Karen Millen, Coast and Jigsaw. And I never EVER thought I'd say this about a charity shop - but sadly I think this Cancer Research shop is overpriced. I'm all for paying the right price, especially when it comes to charity, but this shop more often than not likes to charge its customers just as much as what you'd pay in the shop the items originally came from. I recently contemplated buying a dress, which was originally from New Look, for £10 until I realised I could buy it brand new for this price. The volunteers here are quite acerbic too. Not a happy shopping experience.

Cancer Research is a charity which supports research to better prevent, diagnose and treat cancer…read more Unlike most charity shops this has taken a modern approach to opening times - keeping up with the long lazy weekends that Gloucester Road shops adhere to. And this attitude carries on inside, with music and clean layout and attracting donations of modern clothes and a few curios. I have found a full military uniform in here and a vintage picnic set. They do know the value of such things though so be prepared to pay a reasonable price for items - it is a great charity though.

Quite simply; my favourite charity shop in Clifton. The quality of the donations is very high, and…read moreit's ideal for local students as a lot of the offerings are old texts books on a variety of subjects from graduates gone by. If you're looking for something specific, just ask the friendly staff who tend to know what they've got in stock. The volunteers are quite savvy to what to price their books at so don't be surprised to pay a fair price for the stock here. But remember what the cause is, and how every penny you spend here is going towards the greater good. Also remember that anything you donate here will be greatly appreciated.

It would appear that having done so well as a regular shop selling clothes and such like this…read morecharity megalith has turned to shops focussing on specifically book and music. The move has gone well with this number of Cotham Hill feeling more like a regular book store than a charity one. The range is incredible, and it's hard to believe all these books have come from donations alone. From fiction to non-fiction pretty much all topics and ideas are given at least a light sprinkling of attention. There's even a section on esoteric studies! This is a well stocked music and literature outlet that's quite rightly always busy.

Much gratitude to the Salvation Army who performed minor miracles in their efforts to help me after…read moremy car was towed by the council last night in Bristol. If it hadn't been for the extreme generosity of spirit of the people at The Salvation Army in providing me with all sorts of assistance, (use of their office computer, the printing of my insurance certificate and ultimately taking me to Avonmouth to retrieve my car etc.) I would have faced the prospect of, as a female, sleeping rough in Bristol in sub-zero conditions as I could not have afforded a hotel or a taxi to North Somerset where I live. I consider myself extremely lucky to have been so well supported by people who had no obligation to assist me whatsoever. I have emailed them today to offer my voluntary support as a way of saying thank you for their kindness. Tracey, the Minister on duty at the Salvation Army Citadel, dropped me off at the pound, making a considerable trip in icy conditions, despite having a young child with her, who obviously would have preferred to go home for her tea. Matt, one of the lovely people who works in the offices at the Bristol Salvation Army HQ had previously supported all of my efforts to find out what had happened to my car, (I thought it had been stolen), by surfing the internet and making calls etc. He then printed documents that were essential in order to get my car released. I cannot say thank you enough!

This shop stocks good range of second-hand clothes for men and women at prices that are cheap even…read moreby the standards of most charity shops. I bought an as-new pair of high quality trousers for 2.50 recently. The selection of books, CDs and other items is generally much more limited, though this fluctuates. Remember to try clothes on in the changing room, as they are often incorrectly labelled!

The last item I bought from age concern was a Miss Selfridge skirt, new with tags on - tag price…read morealmost 40 quid, Age concern £3! Thank you very much Age Concern! I also picked up a cute white lace dress, I reckon it was probably a 1970s nightie, however it looked just like the dresses I had seen selling in Camden the week before for 30 odd quid.I popped in here last week and they had a really sweet retro blouse, again I reckon this was some retro item from the 70s but it looked very 'now'. It also has a cheap selection of books, the range can be a bit chick lit heavy but its possible to find the odd cheap gem.

Great little charity shop with very cheap prices. Last time I popped in here there was a huge table…read moreof wool (cones and balls), each for 50p or £1 - a bargain. If wool isn't your thing then the entertainment section is quite big for such a small shop. Although very are very few people that still have video recorders if any of your friends do then send them here - there is a large selection of videos in good condition of as little as 50p each. There are also plenty of books and the odd CD or record, though these are few and far between. The staff here are lovely - quite old but always chatting with customers and answering any questions you might have about the shop. Although I didn't find any clothes I liked on my most recent visit, this shop has served me quite well in the past, with decent tops and jumpers for under a fiver. Well worth a look if you're in the area.

Now THIS is a very good charity shop to go to when you're looking for budget clothing. Big and…read morespacious it is unlike many other charity shops and it has a good selection for men too. You get all the standard charity shop stuff like old books and videos, tape packs and hats for the elderly but a little more too. Some really pretty decent clothes end up here for a good range of styles and, as mentioned, at least a rack or two of stuff for men. A choice of shoes and changing room included, the only real down point is the musty smell of cigarette smoke and damp - not massively unlike any other charity shop really.