My friend and I were going for a wee jaunt in Rawdon and we came across this delightful shop. She…read morehad just passed her driving test so I suggested a drive out to a random Leeds town and we decided to visit Rawdon - it was a total off the cuff find! The layout of the shop is most curious, being on the corner of the street almost, the shop itself opens out on the the street at both sides! This was a little disorientating from the inside, but I soon cottoned on. From one entrance you were met with a plethora of beautiful glass ware, hand made delightful wine glasses, little trinkets and key rings, beautiful cardigans, home ware tea sets and other gorgeous gift items. My favourite of this room was a lovely Indian (?) style lamp shade like a metal framed globe with different coloured gems which made up the body of it. At £55 I decided to think on it, but it was beautiful. Upstairs was a gallery of different floral prints, material prints and other really interesting art works. In the other room through to the other side of the street was a lovely hand made card section (situated in the through-fare) and then a gorgeous jewellery and toy section where we were greeted by a lovely sales lady. The shop is beautifully laid out, with exquisite and imaginative gift items from all kinds of indie designers and crafters, and it was most definitely worth stopping by. Prices range with some sale pieces, but expect to take a while as it is mesmerising!

This is a really lovely gift shop and emporium of beautiful things!…read more It is just by Rawdon Traffic lights so really easy to find. The shop stocks lots of lovely, unusual gift items for a variety of budgets. It is a wonderful place to go in for a browse around (no doubt you will find something you love) or to look for a special present. This shop is always my first port of call when looking for a mother's day present, or gifts for my other female relatives. Staff are happy to help and quick to come up with helpful suggestions if you are struggling for ideas. It can be a little expensive, but makes up for this with the convenience of it's location

Swish, Damn Swish - no, not a famous line from a swashbuckling James Bond rip off, this arcade is…read moreincredible. A whole Victorian street in the shopping heart of Leeds enclosed by a wonderfully modern glass covering. OK, so the shops are all designer, the ones everyone loves to look in, sometimes go in to have a look at just how much some people are prepared to pay for t-shirt....but boy the designers have designed a perfect place for designers to come sell their designer bits 'n bobs. little bubbling fountains, coffee and bagel huts for that quick pit stop and belly filler. I sat in here for about an hour, just sipping my cheap filter coffee and commoner's bacon and egg bagel getting a good view of how the other half live. I didn't mind, I was content, in such a place I find it hard to believe anyone could feel otherwise.

The Victoria Quarter is the Leeds hotspot for chic shopping. I'm sure it would object to being…read moredescribed as such but that's tough, cos it's be that's writing it so ner. In all seriousness, The Victoria Quarter is the opulent home to some of the more high end brands of the Leeds shopping arena, and with it comes certain prestige in being housed here. The little independent stores like the French Revolution and Rose & Co gain a little kudos in being located here, as that is the effect the Victoria Quarter has on a business here. It is really rather easy to get lost in the annals of the walkways, be it through gawping at all the lovely shopping enticements, or be it from the identical high vaulted ceilings and archways criss crossing across one another, identical fountains, and sympathetic shop signage so that it doesn't interfer with the original features and feel of the Victorian decor. Depending on which entrance you take you will find fountains tinkling delicately, or small tables with coffee service, or even a small but assuredly delicious pattisserie. Benches are also dotted around and if you take the time to perch, and knock your head back you'll see the bizarre yet beautiful glass decoration. A worthy attraction all on it's own.

A long standing Morrisons supermarket at the top of yeadon high street…read more Very good sized car park (though I have noticed a bit of a struggle during busy times). And a table service cafe too. The supermarket is nicely laid out, you get the smell of baking bread and cooking chickens, but actually enter through the fruit and veg section. Full of the usual Morrison's value and special offers. It has a full range of Market street counters (fish bar, salad, chickens & pies, butchery bakery and cakes) all with staff on hand to help with any queries. My only real annoyance is that this shop has a separate wines and spirits section and an inconsistant policy as to whether you can pay for all your shopping together or if you have to queue twice. The only time this is good is if you go in for booze alone, as you don't get stuck behind a couple of trolley loads at the checkout!

Morrisons in Yeadon is a fair sized super market with plenty of free parking and lots of facilities…read morein the store such as a cafe, coin changer, good clean loos and a bakery and chicken rotisserie. The shop is airy light and clean and the food is good value and high in quality. The prices are very good, I would say of the big 4 supermarkets they are the cheapest and they do offer a lot of buy one get one free offers and other deals which is good. The staff are very nice and helpful, and the atmosphere of the supermarket is good, I would say this one is maybe a little more old fashioned but that is no bad thing. Only down side is that it doesn't sell clothes like the biger supermarkets do but food and home wise it is very good and a great place to do your weekly or monthly shop without breaking the bank.

This is my favourite place for everything shopping. Both M & S and Asda have everything I need…read morebetween them. Asda has a great selection of women's and children's clothes, all very reasonably priced. Being disabled, these superstores offer an accessible, easy shopping experience, both having loads of disabled parking spaces, and scooters to borrow. The staff in Asda are particularly helpful, nothing's too much trouble. I love being able to withdraw cash, get my prescription, see the optician, pick up my euros and do my food shopping under one roof. A restaurant offers fresh cooked food every day, and there's always MacDonald's for the grandchildren. (And grandma!). Household goods are trendy and colourful, with lots of choice. M & S is a bit more expensive, but it's nice for gift buying or for something special. Their food is to die for, again, a bit pricey but such a treat. Some people want more choice of shops in a retail centre, but for me, Owlcotes is perfect. It's a relaxing, enjoyable experience, and I always find what I need. My only complaint? There's too much choice!! In both stores, I could spend hours, and do, browsing the aisles, with no over enthusiastic store assistants hassling me to buy things I don't want! Asda wins by a margin because I can shop there 24 hours most days. Evening shopping is quieter, and brings out the very best of people!!

Centre? Centre of what? I mean this is really just a couple of big shops and if you're not into…read moreM&S or Walmart then you're out of luck. If you are intending to do mega shopping it's probably better to get the bus into Leeds or round the ring road to the White Rose Centre. I tend to at least partially judge any 'centre' by the eats (I know, I'm very sad and slightly over weight) and The Owlcotes fairs very badly offering a small McDonald's which doesn't offer the full menu and ASDA cafe which I have to say doesn't seem to offer much edible at all. I can't finish without conferring the prize for toilets I'd least like to need on the one here adjacent to the McDonald's concession. Gross, filthy and obviously forgotten on the cleaning rota.

Junk Again is another fantastic furniture place that doesn't require you be to snobby and rich to…read morepurchase their goods. I like Habitat, don't get me wrong, but really, why bother when you can get good quality furniture for much less. Especially if you are a student! Which is perfect for this area. Flocks of students come and go through Leeds, moving every year and needing to get rid of or attain furniture every time they do. Junk Again are aware of this and have cleverly positioned themselves not far from the postcodes that are predominantly student populated. If you are looking for a cabinet, a table, or arm chair, or are looking to get rid of, a fridge, a freezer, or chimney pot, Junk Again is a great place to go. They are slightly chaotic but that just adds to that old fashioned feel of shops of this type. Plus no-one will look down their polished nose at you as they so often do in Habitat.

When my friends and I moved house last year we opted for a grand four bedroom house that was…read moreunfurnished as it wold cost us a little less. That, sadly, was not the case in the end but that's more to do with the Estate Agent and building than anything else. However, pretty much the only thing that we required for our move was a sofa and some arm chairs. Enter: Junk Again! My old housemate had spotted Junk Again on her way through Woodhouse and suggested that we tried here for a cheap second hand suite. I was game for any bargain and so when she called me, all a fluster, to tell me about this awesome sofa, two arm chairs and a pouffe for a mere £40, I came immediately to the scene. Yes. That's right. All that for forty flippin' pounds. The friendly chap explained that he had planned to have them cleaned but hadn't yet, so was willing to let them go for that much - all we needed to do was clean them. No probs, Handy Hire in Headingley solved that one for us dirt cheap too! We couldn't have been more chuffed. Inside you'll find an array of lovely old furniture and the odd antique, for seriously cheap prices. My advice is: if you're moving look here first. I've a few more things I need myself so I'm planning a re-visit very soon...

Over the past few months the Morrison chain of supermarkets, they have really been working on…read moreimproving the quality of their produce and the layout of their stores. Their Morrisons own brand food has really improved, for example their brand of curries are superb. The quality of the fresh produce has also improved, they are now stocking unusual produce and fantastic fresh store baked bread, it has been a great turn around for our local supermarket.

The supermarket has recently undergone many refurbishments in order to be improved. A wide range of…read moreitems can be found here, just as one should expect from a supermarket. There are many tills and many self-service checkout points that can easily be operated, providing that one isn't purchasing something that they may need to use an ID for or purchasing many items at once. However, if one wishes to buy an item which happens to be reduced, they can not use self-service without manually typing in the barcode as it will not present them with the lowest price. Furthermore, the staff who operate the tills also need to manually insert the barcode into the system which holds up the rest of the shoppers. The staff operating the tills, however, do appear to be extremely friendly. I, personally, would suggest fixing this function which, by the way, doesn't only affect reduced items or other "on offer" items but rather other items too occasionally for no apparent reason. The supermarket does serve its own freshly-baked bread and cookies from the bakery. Today, youths were offering tasters of said cookies which lead to me purchasing some. They, too, seemed to be very nice and helpful people. The bakery is sufficient and the produce seems to taste very nice. There is also a Deli here which is a good thing for those who wish to buy fresh meat. The wide range of items sold here means that it's likely that you'll find what you're looking for. Thanks for reading my review. I hope that you have a nice time shopping here.

The Yorkshire Trading Company is a really handy place to visit. Having been installed where, I…read morebelieve, the old Woolworths used to be in Otley you could imagine some old school woollies fans might have been somewhat miffed. Nevertheless it only takes one little peek inside to realise how much more useful (sorry woollies) this store is. Being as they've cropped up all about Yorkshire, thankfully, you don't need to be in Otley to appreciate them but the one here is pretty good. To describe exactly what they sell is a bit like trying to describe all the shades of blue. It would take eons. I'll give it a go. They sell just about everything and anything - like an up market version of Wilkinsons. They have DIY bits, gardening items, clothes, household bits and so much more. The most delectable bit is that they sell all at pretty bargainous prices too - so truly a handy shop to have around. I can't think of an occasion where I would think to myself "I need to go to The Yorkshire Trading Company," but when I've been at a loose end in Otley it has been a pretty good place to start. Not bad!

Well well, I concur with Rowena on this place although I can list everything they sell and if…read moreanyone wants that list then email me at getalifeandgolookyourself.not lol I only discovered this company a year ago whilst wandering aimlessly (again) around Otley wondering why we go there full of excitement at our "day out" only to realise it's just another town.... Since my discovery I have visited the shop in Otley and Skipton and even Skegness and always end up buying something as there is always something you need. What other shop can you make purchase's that will allow you to build a fence, paint it then chop it up to put in your new BBQ all whilst wearing a fetching hat, then have a bath, dye your hair whilst eating chocolates, reading a book and playing with etch-a-sketch and a dolls house........ They really do sell that many different things it's mind blowing....... Car stuff for instance, from air horns to polish, birthday cards......... I could go on but I have to do something else with my life so go and have a look next time you're at a loose end in Otley or anywhere you see the sign :)

This is a good all round craft shop, especially for a small local high street…read more They specialising in sewing and needle crafts, They probably will have a suitable button to replace to one you lost, and the right size and colour zip so you can replace the broken one on your trousers. The have iron on hemming tape if you're not so handy too! If you're feeling very creative and like customising clothes they have dyes and fabric paints, as well as sew on appliqué patches. They have a good range of embroidery threads and patterns, as well as knitting wool and supplies. They also stock arty craft things and kits for children. So well worth checking out for something to entertain the kids in the school holidays

What a wonderful little shop lots of gift ideas which certainly helped me choose a valentine's day…read morepresent for my wife.

What a house of wonder! Chase really isn't kidding when he says it sells everything, it really does…read moresell pretty much everything you might need for your home. From cleaning products, kitchen items, DIY bits and bobs, cheap snacks, cards and so much more - they've got it covered. If you're a keen shopper/browser it's a veritable treasure chest to explore. My particular favourite is the upstairs section. Here's where the items get slightly less bargainous and become a little higher end... They've beds, lamps and all other kinds of home furnishings in a range of styles. Faux-antique right through to the more modern sleek look. I bought an awesome 'telephone box' lamp for my room at home, which is so kitsch and delightful and only set me back £15. (I can imagine it costing a ton more in a vintage shop!) My Mum was particularly overjoyed with a red painted vase that she picked up as well, of which they had many different shades! So, there's plenty to get excited about, and not too pricey as well. However, all that glitters is not gold. I did come away having purchased a few oil reed scent dispensers (the pots of oils with the wooden reeds) and they simply don't work at all. They were only a pound each, but I can see why they were so cheap as they give off no scent at all! Even so, I'm pleased as punch with my lamp so that more than makes up for it!

I was first introduced to QLM by my new wife (I change them quite often, not really if you're…read morereading this love) just after we set up home together. It was the first time I'd been in a shop which I cannot categorize by what it sells, IT SELLS EVERYTHING !! From bleach to crisps, rugs to xbox games, they have almost everything under one roof. The only thing I can say lets it down is a lack of electrical goods like TV's but if you're looking for a pack of brass tacks and a birthday card for auntie Mabel this is a good place to start........ and if you're feeling tired you can nip upstairs and pretend you're testing a bed out :)