This is a wee gold mine of a shop. It looks battered from the outside and it is tiny inside, but it…read morehas everything! The main line of business is...well there isn't really one. It's a amalgamation of watch care (e.g. batteries, straps and the like), DIY supplies, electrical supplies and all kinds of bits and bobs in-between. There are some little knickknacks, candles and candle holders too which are not bad for a quick gift in a hurry or to brighten the place up. Admittedly, some of them are a little dated and the like but if you have a rummage you're sure to find something. Meanwhile, the other side of the business is unlocking and repairing mobile phones and PCs. Sadly, I didn't find this out sooner, when I drunkenly dropped my laptop onto the wooden floor and completely broke the screen right off of it. However, should anything happen like that happen again, I'll definitely make a stop in here and see what they have to say. Other plus points, are good prices and friendly staff who are more than happy to give you some DIY advice.

Glasgow is littered with places like Rutherglen's the Bargain Store. You know the kind, jack of all…read moretrades, master of none. Sure, you can get a bargain in here but generally for "bargain" you should read cheap. Stocking everything and anything, the Bargain Store is the place you buy your kid a Mickey Mouse toy to appease them for five minutes, before they're left horrified as Mickey's eyes and legs fall off. In saying that, you can always uncover something handy in here, be it Christmas lights, bluetack or a disco ball. It's not good quality stuff, but by rule of thumb, if you can't find it anywhere else, chances are it'll be hidden away in a bargain store.

I love this shop, just for the incongruity of a newsagents that also sales hardware. So- pick up a…read morenewspaper and some tools at the same time: this is your place. I was honestly confused the first time I went in: I wanted a can of coke or something, but suddenly remembered that I needed some nails. I wish that there were more shops like this, just so that serendipity could work its magic more often!

I frequent this shop nearly everyday. Always a warm welcome from the owner. He knows practically…read moreeveryone, which is always makes for good banter. Most things I need are here.

This is a little trip down nostalgia lane for me. My first ever job was working in a hardware store…read more- my Dad worked there and both my older brothers worked there so it was natural for me to get a job there when I turned 15. It was a nice hardware store, the kind of place that really strived for great customer service. It had a friendly, family atmosphere (unsurprisingly as nearly my whole family worked there). Then a monolith hardware store opened down the road and things got a little harder - it was one of those big warehouse places where you could wander for days trying to find a paint brush or a staff member and there's none in sight. Where you'll freeze your toes off and prices are high. Where you'll feel instantly depressed and long for the good old days when someone could just give you some help and guidance. That sums up my introduction to hardware in the UK. Visiting B&Q reminds me of one of these monolith hardware stores with no personality, friendliness or assistance. In fact, during my visit here yesterday afternoon I saw all of two people working here, and one of those was on the register. I loitered around the paint counter for quite some time as I needed some guidance and there was no one to be seen. I ended up just having to guess what I should buy as I didn't want to spend hours waiting for someone to appear. I went to the check out. There was self-checkouts with a staff member standing off to the side. I managed to check out without any rage-inducing scenes, and went on my merry way. The only person who spoke to me the whole time was a guy at the door on the way out who wanted to sell me new windows. Ah, no thanks pal, what I would have liked was some customer service.

This B&Q is absolutely massive and you could spend hours upon hours here buying things for your…read morehome and garden, especially if you're a fan of DIY. My mum usually drags me here if she's looking for some inspiration for decorating and she usually finds it here, although more often than not I have to pitch in with some paint and a roller brush. You will find everything from plants, lawnmowers, doors, wall paper, paint to lightbulbs here and it really is massive! Even if you have to take your rug rats with you, they'll still have a blast here. My parents always took dragged me round when I was little and after moaning the whole car journey I soon got very excited as I could swing on the outdoor seats, collect wall paper samples, wooden flooring segments and there's even a vending machine, oh my goodness! A day out for all the family!

My Mum is an avid Gardener and I am following in her footsteps, so we often take a wee…read moremother-daughter trip to Homebase! Woohoo! Okay, so i'm easily amused. Whether it's to pick up a new plant or just some Baby-Bio this place rocks! In addition to plants they also have paint, wallpaper and a lighting department. My Mums favourite section is the "Bargain Section" and we once found a lovely picture which had no price on it. When we asked the guy at the desk he said if we made a donation in one of their charity boxes then we could have it, donating to a good cause and getting a lovely picture, fantastic! The staff here are really helpful and will even assist you to your car if you get a bit carried away buying too many wares.

This is a place that I don't get to frequent a lot, mainly because the lack of a car makes it a bit…read moretricky to transport various DIY and garden stuff. There is always the taxi option, but it's not one I'm fond of. As for the taxi of dad...well, this is a grumpy option reserved only for desperate occasions when I really require something. So far, these occasions have been various tins of emulsion when I first moved into my current flat a few years ago and - eh - to get a tiny, but thick and bushy Christmas tree. Anyway, on both of these occasions I've been extremely impressed by this Homebase. DIY and gardening aren't really my things but just a few steps in here and I'm genuinely excited! It's a massive store that is well lit, organised, laid out and everything is clearly sign posted. This means even someone as clueless as me can locate wide general sections without any trouble. If you get to one of these sections are a little overwhelmed by your vast choice, it's really easy to catch a member of passing staff who will be able to point you in the direction of certain products, or a line of products, that best suit your purposes. As Eleanor mentioned, should you go slightly shopping mad 0 and it's easy let me tell you - the staff are super helpful at the checkout and will happily help you out to the car with your load. Favourite sections of this store have got to include the gardening section outside; the lighting section and, of course, the bargain section. This last one is extremely random and most of the time you won't find anything you NEED there but it's worth glancing over on the way to the checkouts.