This is another small but perfectly formed and upmarket eyewear boutique in the lanes, that offers…read morefull eye testing and many designer styles that you just can't find anywhere else outside of London. I almost bought a pair of Alexander McQueen frames in here which would have cost me £160 including the lenses, the only thing that stopped me was my bank balance. They also have some amazing shades, including some labels that are exclusive to the store, with even more exclusive prices. At the very least it's a very relaxed and helpful atmosphere if you want to have fun just trying them on.

I cannot flaw the service and quality of the spectacles I got from Bernadette and her team when i…read morepopped into Frames in the Lanes, off North Street and just next door to Riddle and Finn. When you are spending £300 or so on new glasses, I want the advice of experts not trendy input from a spotty youth. My trip to Frames in the Lanes meant I got specs that suit me completely. I have no hesitation in recommending this place.

My husband has just had a cataract operation and he wanted a clear lens in his glasses for the…read moreoperated on eye ASAP. Our usual optician wanted 10 working days to change the lens in the glasses. We went into this vibrant opticians (some amazing frames!) and they replaced the lens in 30 MINUTES!! Incredible. Great customer service. Thank you! We will be coming here in future for all of our glasses and sunglasses as there is such a great variety.

It was a pleasure to do business with Specs Opticians not just because of their extensive…read morecollections and personal service but also for great aftercare. I had bought a pair of designer glasses 3 years ago, one of the arms came off due to a faulty hing, although the guarantee had run out Jamie kindly fixed them free of charge.. great customer service! Anthony

If you have a high budget and are looking for some pretty special designer glasses, then look no…read morefurther than David Clulow. I went in on the hunt for some Oliver Peoples frames and although they didn't have the ones I wanted in stock, they did have a great range and also kindly offered to either order them in, or for me to visit them when they had Peoples' representatives in showing the new ranges. They have a great selection of frames though, stocking brands by highly regarded designers such as Oliver Peoples, Ray Ban, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Persol, Tom Ford and many more. This place is rather pricey, but if you are after something that they won't have in other designer eyewear outlets, or you want to make a statement with your glasses then it really is the place to go. Not only this, but you get a sense that the staff are pretty knowledgeable in all things optical and will help find the best pair of spectacles for you.

If, like me, you need glasses (I rarely wear mine, but they are only for reading), David Clulow can…read moreoffer you some beautiful upmarket pieces. Like most, I normally do everything through Specsavers, but I do occasional eye the frames in here: they are of a much higher quality, and just a bit more arty. However, the prices are extraordinary: obviously, glasses are expensive, but this is a lot to ask. I wish I could afford these, and doubt many Brightonians could on their budget. David Clulow do nearly everything other opticians do: they don't offer eye tests, but will organise contacts and glasses for any prescription. This kind of service turns David Clulow from a designer boutique into a genuine Specsavers alternative, away from all of their bureaucracy and poor selection: a great service for Brighton! My big sticking point here is the price: I know glasses are pricey, but everything in here is out of most peoples' basic price range. They are all lovely designer pieces, and all companies seem to be well represented, but there's little for the smaller waller. A shame! If you wear glasses, pop in here to get a good idea of proper upmarket frames, what you can get for your money, and an alternative if Specsavers prove to be as rubbish as they are to me on a frequent basis. I wish I could afford these; maybe you can!

This type of shop is unfortunately perfectly at home in London Road. The 99p store joins the ever…read moregrowing population of discount stores in the area that also includes the likes of 'Poundsense' and 'Poundstretcher'. I'm not a huge fan of this place, especially as it comes at the cost of local business. If you are a regular user of stores like 'Poundland' then this shop is right up your alley; they have a very similar product range, stocking everything from perfume to breakfast cereal. I mainly come here for the energy drinks (4 for 99p). I would say that if you're looking for bargains, 99p store has a few, although so do all of the other nearby stores and so too does Sainsbury with the basics range of products.

What do you expect for a pound? Well, I didn't expect 9 bags of McCoys crisps for a pound, and…read morestill with a good couple of weeks left before the expiration of the sell by date. But when you think about how far expiry dates are set into the future, how long have these crisps been around for? Cleaning products, tacky Christmas decorations and afore mentioned snacks are all you can get away with buying from here. Anything else will most likely dissolve in your hands before you get them home.

I'm not quite enough of a punk rocker to buy anything from Reload, but it did have an interesting…read moreselection of t-shirts, tank tops and accessories. Several of the images were pop icons and retro images; others were skulls. An odd combination, I thought. One side wall contained a mass of women's brightly coloured accessories: headscarves, bandanas, leg warmers, fingerless gloves, and studded belts. I was interested in the sunglasses, actually - they were on for £5 each. Good deal. The sales clerk was rocking out to the music whilst I browsed and didn't seem to notice me. Punk music, punk style - if these are your things, check out Reload.

I've never stepped inside Reload, but then I've never had to. Their awesome sunglasses are always…read morestood outside, blocking half the street. Retailing for around £5, the shades at this store are great, and based on that small aspect of this awesome shop, I'd happily give it 4 stars, and recommend it to all you darkness loving people.

*Drool* As a Surfer…read moreGirl, Ocean Sports provides the feed to my addiction. Selling everything one would need to engage in Surfing, Snowboarding and Skateboarding under one roof, Ocean Sports lives true to it's name. Carrying all of the essential labels for Buoys and Gulls (even the little ones) such as Vans, Roxy and Billabong (just to name a few), Ocean Sports supplies water sport fanatics with both fashion and function. With all equipment located in the back of the shop, you can try on the latest Quicksilver Boardies up front to go with your new 6"2 board at the back. Ocean Sports also offers a wide range of Surf DVDs that can be purchased. Why not be a little bit jealous of big barrel surfing in Hawaii when it's -10 in the Channel! With an added bonus of being right beside Woody's Diner you can treat yourself to a tall stack of Pancakes after you purchase a £250 wetsuit.

Ocean Sports is a fantastic shop to go to for extreme sports gear and clothing. I have a passion…read morefor snowboarding and surfing and have to admit that this shop sells an excellent, large range of branded snowboarding jackets, trousers, goggles and boots, branded wetsuits, boots, gloves, rash vests as well as a top selection of snowboards and surfboards themselves. It's always fun to go in and browse even if you have no intention of buying anything (you always come out wishing you had more money!) The staff are very friendly and willing to help and give you knowledge on anything you may be unsure of. As well as gear for outdoor sports they also sell general surfer style clothing for men and women. They always have some lovely little summer dresses! The store is large and right on the seafront with a classic surf-lodge style of shades of light and dark blue. If you're looking to make a serious purchase on a board of some kind or even if you just need some new outdoor clothes like a decent jacket or a new pair of snowboard trousers, Ocean Sports is definitely the place to go.

God bless the sunglasses stall…read more As it was the first truly sunny day of 2010 yesterday, I was wandering along the sea-front squinting and cursing for forgetting my sunglasses when I wandered past this discreet stall. Nestled between tables of African art and ceramics, it has a selection of about 100 different pairs to choose from. These are categorised not by style but by price - with the cheapest starting at £6 and the most expensive being £12. I ignored the over-sized, Kanye West style glasses and snapped up a pair of UV protected, black sunglasses for £8. The similarity to the classic Ray Bans only occured to me when I met a friend later and she asked if they were originals!

Snoopers Paradise is a must-visit for anyone coming to Brighton. Cluttered and bizarre, the shop…read morehas absolutely no apparent order, with bits and bobs scattered and hidden throughout stretching rooms full to the brim of treasures and, well, crap! There's literally something here for everyone - old furniture, jewellery, boxes of tatty old photographs, vintage clothing. Whatever it is you're looking for, Snooper's Paradise is likely to have it in some form or another. It's also likely to stock everything you're not looking for, which is why I especially love taking a stroll around here. First of all, let me state clearly - if you are not a browser, don't even come inside here. You will hate it. If you get stressed out by sales or TK Maxx, then back away slowly from Snooper's Paradise. It is, sadly, not for you. However if, like me, you love a good hoke around - you'll love this place! Many an afternoon can be spent wandering, trying on ridiculous hats, flicking through old books, pining after beautiful bits of furniture that you can't afford and that wouldn't fit in your flat anyway. It's that sort of place - you can get lost in there for hours, caught up in the wonder of it all! In terms of prices, this is obviously a very mixed bag. Some things are expensive, some things are a penny. Such is the way with big shops like this! That being said, there's always a bargain to be found in here somewhere! The staff are helpful and friendly! It always amazes me how they can find and price things in there without getting utterly frazzled by the sheer volume and randomness of the stock. Get down there and have a good rummage - you'll either love it or you'll hate it!

Snoopers Paradise seems to bring out the inner bargain hunter in everyone that steps through the…read moredoor. You walk in empty handed and somehow end up leaving half an hour later with a tin robot, a 1960s chair, an antique mirror or a pair of models legs! Situated halfway down Brighton's fantastic Kensington Gardens, its a sprawling, antique market that has dozens of different stalls offering everything from the brilliant to the bizarre. There are some cool furniture and homeware stalls, handy book and record stalls and a few inspired clothes stall selling great vintage clothes. There's also a lot of very odd bric a brac that I imagine will still be there in 2020!

The Mole is one of a handful of boutiques around the North Laines that sells both street and…read moresportswear. Their window display draws you in with dozens of pairs of cool sunglasses and wicked headphones. Once you step inside, you'll find there's also a large selection of sneakers, training shoes, sweatshirts, hoodies, tee-shirts and jeans. Labels include Vans, DC, Etnies, Nixon, Von Zipper & Emerica. All you need to complete the look is a skateboard - which you can pick up next door at Oddballs! Review to follow once I've done a few tricks on my BMX. :-)

The Mole annoys me... Not the rodent of course, which is perfectly lovely and surprisingly small…read more.. No, I mean the store. It doesn't matter how much I tell myself that you can create your own "look" on a low budget, and look everybit as well presented as someone forking out four times as much three times as often... Places like this always come along and show off some of the most awesome versions of my clothes... and charge £55 them... £55 feels like the standard... Whether its the ludicrously soft and well fitting hoodies with their gorgeous designs, or the series of gut wrenchingly bad ass trainers....... Gah! There aren't many brands here, with a strong loyalty towards the three or so on offer. In addition to the usual jeans, trainers, jackets shirts and hoodies, The Mole also boasts a strong offering of very sexy accessories. Be they the stylish wallets, trendy shades or somewhat (in my opinion) tacky headphones to match your clothes, The Mole has got colours and styles to impress... Not great value, but offering exceptional quality, The Mole is a place to treat yourself, or to blow that big bonus (not that I've ever had one to wield).

Brighton's branch of Vision Express is located near Debenhams and Apple on the lower floor of…read moreChurchill Square, it is a fairly small branch and perhaps not as modern as other Vision Express stores, but I found this to be really typical of many stores in the mall including Three and nearby Apple, to name a few. I came in here to take a look at the selection of eyewear, the selection seemed really poor, Vision Express is known for being slightly higher-end stocking big name brands such as Tag Heuer, who they have the exclusive rights for, and Hugo Boss, however the selection of the more expensive designer glasses seemed to be non-existent here, they also didn't seem to have a case which needed unlocking with a key, which every other branch had, I mean it's nice they're selling a range of eyewear to suit lower budgets, but a lack of designer brands which the chain is known for is a shame. The service here was especially poor, this is the first time I've visited a Vision Express store, and been allowed to walk in without a greeting, or smile, there was no one manning the front desk as you walk into the store, to offer assistance or to help book you in for an appointment with an optician, which again every other store seems to have, even the smaller stores in smaller towns and cities, which again is a shame. The tables to sit down and complete your purchase with a staff member was spacious, while the selection was average at best. 2* - Slightly generous rating, the selection for lower budgets was satisfactory and it is a nice brand to have in Brighton, but the store needs to do a lot more in nearly every regard to bring the stores practices and standards in line with the other brands in the company, this store is in a different league (and not in a good way) to some of the best Vision Express branches such as my local branch in the Manchester Arndale.

I've been coming here for over eight years and I used to be so satisfied I'd still have my eye…read moretests here after moving to London. No more. My most recent eye test resulted in two weeks of feeling sick and dizzy. Which I had never experienced in my lifetime of wearing glasses. The change in my sight wasn't great, they had quite simply given me the wrong prescription. Which, I'm sad to say, as of writing this has not been corrected. After a retest (which was a feat to get in itself) the optician implied I was lying after having tested me three times (apparently) with the same results. Ultimately the optician agreed to lower my prescription as she said "I'm so confused, I don't know what's wrong." But... This wasn't the end... Firstly, they said I'd have to wait two weeks for the new lenses because I must have thin lenses. Strange, having never needing them before. They ultimately agreed to fit my glasses with standard lenses (which, from straight off seem so much more natural) leading me to assume the £50 extra thin lenses are a con. Then... Having bought contact lenses in my new prescription (I also had a lens fitting on the same day, which they tried to charge me for when they said it was free, but that's another story) I demanded they compensate or provide contacts in my new prescription. I was told I would require another fitting as contact lenses can be a different prescription. I don't know how much of that is true, but my contact lenses have always been the same strength as my glasses. And considering I wear dallies which seem to consist of two bass curves I couldn't understand how the change would warrant a new fitting. And on a side note: the fitting didn't have much technicals elements to it, it consisted of a salesman insisting I bought the most expensive contact lenses they stock... Ultimately they provided me with sample lenses in both the reduced prescription and the strong (wrong) prescription to try and as I'm writing there's still something very wrong with both... Having trusted this branch for almost a decade I am extremely upset with this outrageous disappointment. I will be seeking an independent optician to take another eye test, if you have had a test here recently GET ANOTHER and if you're considering going here (they do have nice glasses) don't.