It just struck me (like a bolt of lightening, some might say) before I began my review as to why…read morethis place is named so...Hardys Hardware. Excellent. Aside from the innovative name, Hardys is a pretty darn good wee shop. The fact that it's slightly more than a hardware store made me feel slightly more at ease (you may recall my previous review [singular] of a hardware store, and how I felt completely out of place), but I have to say that it was also the accompaniment of my dad that made the whole experience generally nicer. Thanks Daddy. Back to the vast range of stock though. Yes, it's got the wood, tools, gadgets and DIY stuff, but there's a huge variety of other stuff too. There's toiletries, household cleaners, pet goods, home decor...even confectionery! I got lost in the toiletry section while my dad looked for some man thingy. Or something like that. It's definitely the extensive assortment of goods that makes Hardys that little bit special. Hardys and Other Items You May Find Yourself Needing doesn't have quite the same ring though...

One of the best general hardware and DIY stores you will find in NI. The range is huge and its more…read moreconvenient being in the centre of Comber than travelling to B&Q and other superstores in Ards north Down or Dundonald.

Matthew has proven to be very patient, knowledgeable & considerate. Would highly recommend him &…read morehis shop for quality, service & value. 5*

My friends and I are big into skiing and snow boarding and last March we were booking our trip away…read moreto Italy. It dawned on me that our gear had been tucked away for over a year and was probably in a sorry state. I headed into the roof space and opened our skiing stuff - it was looking old and shabby and the boards needed a wax and edging. Now, we live in a little town and I didn't think for a minute there would be anywhere to help. I asked a few friends and someone told me about a ski and surf shop in Comber, an even smaller little town just outside Newtownards town center. I could barely believe it and went to find out. The parking outside this tardis of a shop is rubbish so you will have to park somewhere nearby and walk. The shop itself is bigger than I expected and stocks a healthy mixture of wetsuits, flippers, diving gear as well as bobble hats, ski masks, jackets and snow boards - in all honestly I was pleasantly surprised and massively happy to have found somewhere so handy for our favourite hobbies. The staff were so nice, we chatted for ages about ski resorts, the best places to body board, good brands for gear and places not to go when skiing. They were delightful and so I happily left the board to be edged and waxed with these lovely people. They called me two days later to collect it and was very happy with the job and the price. A gem of a shop in a really unexpected place.

I have to say, I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to flower shops. In fact, I rarely wander into…read moreone, namely because they make me sneeze, but also because I've never had to buy flowers for anyone. Sad I know. So, with all this in mind, I have to be honest as to my purpose in visiting Floral Creations... It was the 'Gift Room Upstairs' sign that caught me. I'm a sucker for little gift stores like this, and I just could not resist. So, sniffing in the delightful scents that pervade a store such as this, I dandered through the downstairs section (not before I was greeted by the lovely, lovely flower lady behind the counter, who made such an effort to say hello whilst in mid-flow of another conversation with a customer, she has to be applauded). Upstairs was just as I'd imagined. A plethora of wedding gifts, baby gifts, toiletries, cute lamps, those wonderfully wise sayings in sign form (such as "I like my money where I can see it, hanging in my wardrobe), scented candles and other goodies. I picked up a small bag of pot pourri (ooooh the smell), and, noting it was handmade in Co Down, turned it on its top. I nearly collapsed at the price (well, I would have had I not been kneeling) for such a small bag...£4.99! But smelt so good - Mulberry Meadow was the name, and it lived up to every inch of its name. Stuff it, £4.99 it was... The delightful sales lady was even more delightful when I went downstairs to purchase my pot pourri, especially when I couldn't find my purse, began searching frantically for it, and then discovered it to be under my arm. Apparently that happens when you're older, not at 22. Whoopsies. The Mulberry Meadow was beyond beautiful when I opened the bag at a later stage. Ah yes, that stunning scent almost obliterated all thoughts of price. Almost...

Argh, this review has probably been the most difficult one for me so far, and I haven't even begun!…read moreThere are really three reasons behind this... 1) When I looked at my receipt, the name of the shop was written as "Grey Goose Interiors et Salon de Tea" (which, of course, isn't proper French), but the the actual name of the shop uses the French version of tea, which looks like the with an accent over the e. And this is where my problem lay. I went to select a symbol for the e, and ended up choosing the wrong one. I then had to open up Word again, and select another e with the accent facing the other direction. Stress. And all because it's a French tea room. 2) When I popped into the Grey Goose, I was totally unaware that it was also a tea room. Thankfully, I was dressed appropriately enough, and despite my out-of-place look and accent (one of the customers had the obligatory posh North Down accent to a tea, er, I mean tee), I managed to inconspicuously have a look round. To be fair there wasn't a huge amount to look at...a few pretty accessories, even more pretty cards, and cute little gifts. I selected a card, and then realised a third dilemma... 3) There was another section adjoining the tea room, which I dandered into, thinking I could pay there. Unfortunately not. I was redirected back into the Grey Goose, and a girl who was working in the tea room came and served me. Apparently the shop next door is The Lightning Tree, which stocks some unique clothing. I didn't really look though, if I'm honest. So, apart from the name issue, the la-de-da type nature of the Parisian tearoom and the confusion of essentially three shops in the one building, it wasn't all that bad...

Stumbled on this place for the first time the other day and really enjoyed it. It is a blend of a…read moreboutique and coffee shop with a great selection of sandwiches, soups and cakes. The food and the staff alike are top notch and it provides a friendly, warm and very comfortable environment to have breakfast, brunch or lunch. The shop side of the business is very nice as well with home furnishing and ornaments on display. They are all very nice but I thought perhaps mainly of a similar aesthetic with you tend to get with smaller shops, so you'll probably either like nearly everything in this respect or next to nothing. The one thing that let it down just a little for me was the coffee. I had a cappuccino and couldn't really taste the coffee, it was frothy milk with a chocolate taste from the sprinkles. So it wasn't unpleasant, just not what I like, it would remind me of Starbucks offerings. If the coffee had hit the mark it could probably hit 5*s from be in the future.

The Ards peninsula is the home to a wealth of creative and artistic talent and the Doghouse gallery…read morein Comber houses just a small snippet of it. The Doghouse gallery markets itself as an intimate gallery space but when I visited recently I felt that it should perhaps mention the type of Artwork it displays in the countless blurbs in tourist information booklets. This place is anything but a Doghouse, despite being relatively small in comparison to other galleries, it is classy, sleek space for local art to get the exposure they deserve. The is quaint and unassuming. It welcomes visitors and the staff housed in the Doghouse Gallery are more like puppies that pit bulls. They are approachable, so if you particularly like one of the textiles hanging or the design installations then I would advise you to ask questions because they will gladly answer them. The emphasis in the Doghouse is on quality o design and you are not going to be disappointed with either. The Doghouse is something to be proud of and so are the unique designs inside. Doghouse gallery is currently closed until October 7th, they are restocking and their collection. But do not worry Doghouse will start their winter session soon.

From the owner: Welcome to the Doghouse, a contemporary art/craft gallery situated in Comber, Co.Down. The gallery…read morehosts a wide variety of carefully selected, studio made crafts and fine art by full-time designer makers from home and abroad. Ranges include, jewellery and accessories, textiles, leather, metal, glass, ceramics and paintings.

we entrusted the emptying of our shed which had mostly been packed for them and what couldn't fit…read morein container was to be left in storage until we return to sort it . most goods arrived no problem but bottles of alcohol, expensive Sthil gardening equipment and an expensive glove heirloom all disappeared . after clearly sending them videos showing they were all in the shed to be transported or stored , they completely ignored that and stayed the items missing weren't not listed on their docket . of course not as they were stolen ! word to the wise, ensure someone is there at all times and checking each item both into their trucks and off the other side as they are not fit to be trusted alone . you have been warned! very very disappointed. especially in how easily they dismissed our loss which was easily thousands of pounds worth

Horrible experience! I planned to move international & McGimpsey gave the cheapest quote of around…read more4000£, so I agreed to go with them. I agreed to take their insurance as they said there's covered damage. They had me pay 1500£ to begin process of international move. The 1500£ was to go towards the balance of around 4000£ for entire move overall. Day 1 they wrapped some items then took items loose & said they will wrap at warehouse later. (They didn't wrap later as I found out). Found my Beech tree sapling shrivelling up just near where their truck parked outside my apartment. A worker had likely poured a Red bull on it and the tree is now dead! I complained about these to manager but they denied both things. Claiming they were professional they'd never do that. Day 2 long day of more bad packing also taking things away unwrapped saying they would wrap at warehouse later. Negative work attitudes and one guy sick dripping snot from his nose. Guys wanting to go home but staff made them stay. I emailed staff to express my concern about items packed badly again and unwrapped. The director Stephen McGimpsey promised to check everything & wrap better. (This was a lie) Next I was told by someone that they raise quotes & to watch out. Sure enough email comes to say an 8000£ increase. I decided to get it away from them. I had no trust left for McGimpsey's so arranged the return of my goods on my own. Once items were here I could see all unwrapped items & broken grandfather clocks which had zero protection around it. Most furniture was with no packing. All my antique paintings exposed. So McGimpsey has said that the moment the two man with vans that I hired took my things in their vans, McGimpsey is no longer liable for anything. They also kept my 1500£ deposit with a quick made up excuse that it covered the two days packing. Absolute gaslighting rip off crooks. Horrible horrible experience!

I can totally understand why this shop is entitled 'The Barn'. It's got a kind of storage feel to…read moreit, and you can't really move too far without tripping over something, or bumping into that other thing. Especially if your name's Lynne... Crammed full of furniture, soft furnishings, candles, gifts and a whole lot more, The Barn is a tad overwhelming if you're trying to find something specific. I quite like a challenge (most of the time), but since it was wet and I was carting half of Donaghadee's shops around with me (it certainly felt that way), I was pretty fed up and didn't exactly feel like having to dig too much. Plus, I was totally aware of my being ever so slightly clumsy at the best of times, and not wanting to end up paying through the nose for breakages etc., I decided to look and not touch. That was until I spotted a cute cat tea towel, and instantly knew my mum would love it. Managing (somehow) to pick it up off the rail, I admired the pattern whilst hunting for the price. Ah, yes there it was...£5.95?! Heavens above. Maybe I'm a bit stingy, but I certainly wasn't paying that for a tea towel. Not a chance. Everything else seemed to be slightly pricier than I'd first thought, right down to the scented candles which started at £2. At this stage, I realised there were three likely-things-to-happen: 1) I knock something over. 2) I buy something. 3) I leave. The latter being the cheapest option meant it was instantly favoured (not flavoured, that's an entirely different thing altogether). I'm much too poor for such shops. Nice stock though...