Listed in the official store directory of New Street Station for quite some time now, Moleskine's…read morefirst fully fledged Birmingham store has quietly opened on the station's concourse. I'll start out by saying that I've been a fan of the brand and their simple notebooks since the early noughties, when they were still relatively unknown by the general public and surprisingly hard to find outside of very large cities. Now, Moleskine has grown significantly as a very successful company that places their product in virtually any store that sells paper products or travel accessories. Until this week, your best bet was to stop in a Paperchase or Waterstones to pick up a journal, but now their full line of products and accessories is conveniently located in a prime retail spot in New Street Station. The story starts out simple, where a small Milanese paper products company reads about old-world style notebooks that were produced and sold on the streets of Paris but becoming increasingly rare in the late twentieth century. Seeing a market for the literati, they start reproducing the high-quality notebooks in the 90's and spinning a questionable historical narrative connected to Picasso. By 2006 they were bought out by a private equity firm and turned into the corporate monolith you see today. What started out as a simple notebook and journal company has now exploded into dozens of product lines. At this official Moleskine store you can not only find the original style notebooks, but branded journals as well, including their limited edition line (Toy Story, Game of Thrones, etc), and many accessories not limited to pens, bags, and more. I enjoy using the Moleskine products for several reasons, foremost is the quality of the paper used. Not only is the paper sustainable in its sourcing, but all of their paper is acid free, meaning any random doodles or masterpieces you create will last a long time. The now iconic original style notebooks feature a hard cardboard cover wrapped in synthetic fabric. A black fabric band holds the cover in place, a sewn spine allows the notebook to lie flat, and an expandable rear pocket in the back is available for storage. These notebooks have even entered the digital age, with partnered Evernote notebooks available that provide an easy method to upload your notebook into the app. The cheapest notebooks on offer are great for quickly writing notes, although you'll pay a bit more for a more archival quality notebook. Currently in their first week there are special offers for certain spend amounts. If you've never given thought to taking your writing habits back to analog, I suggest giving Moleskine a try for a quality but affordable notebook, journal, or diary.

This small shop on the Grand Central concourse has a good little selection of Moleskine goodies. I…read morelike to stop by from time to time to browse the stationery in the rather satisfying neat rows. I like a Moleskine notebook as they are good quality. This store doesn't let me down as you can find the classic notebooks as well as pens, bags, accessories and some of the limited edition releases. There are display notebooks and pens so you can try things out and see how they feel. This includes the Smart Writing Set and the other digital-able books that Moleskine sell. All rather pricey but that is what I have come to expect from Moleskine. A few offers do pop up from time to time though so worth a glance here if you're after something anyway.

This is a nice little shop that I always go to to buy greetings cards and gift wrap if I'm in…read moreSolihull. They have a huge wall with really different and original greetings cards that I've never seen in other shops. There are really arty ones and funky ones that make a change to normal. In addition to cards, they sell funky wrapping paper and cardboard boxes to put gifts in. There's also loads of different stationary, papers and pens and things like folders and lever arch files. All are really nice designs. They also sell funky toys that are ideal as stocking fillers or little presents. The staff are friendly and always ask if they can help you. It's never too full so you can browse to your hearts content and then not have to queue to pay. They always have inviting displays in the window which was what tempted me in to start with!

This is a fairly large branch of Paperchase, situated in the middle of Touchwood. There is a…read morePaperchase section in Borders nearby, but this independent shop carries more stock. In addition to cards and wrapping materials, the shop carries stationery, small gifts and some items for the home, such as recipe holders. There are also some kitsch Christmas and other holiday decorations in season. Paperchase have a strong graphic image to much of their range, with cards and wrapping generally being bold and stylised; you can normally tell if an item has been purchased here. The stationery is of good quality (really nice paper in the notebooks etc) and is priced accordingly. The shop carries a wide range of pens, including some liquid ink ones that I can't find anywhere else, and which make even my scrawl look good. Great for presents for students, teens and anyone who likes bold, funky designs.

Dunelm is a great shop for soft furninshings. They sell everything from curtains to towels, rugs,…read morebedding etc etc. They also have a range of ornaments, candles, lamps etc. It is a good sized shop and you can pretty much get anything you need to kit out your house. There are a few staff that work here but it always seems that finding someone to help you is easier said than done and they don't always seem to be very approachable. Dunelm is probably the best place to go for your home furninshings and their prices are good with some good offers on throughout the year.

Stockist of UPVC door and window hardware. Very knowledgeable and helpful. Found a replacement for…read moremy front door lock at best price on the web. A company which still provides a personal service - Awesom!

We had a Pergo Laminate floor fitted by Dalkard and Elliot to our through lounge dinning room and…read moreentrance porch. Dalkard and Elliot are a fantastic company to deal with, the products and staff are superb. Also the fitting of our laminate floor was faultless. After our positive experience, we would not go any where else for our flooring requirements in the future.

Excellent store if you want new curtains carpets or wood flooring. Great customer service. Went…read moreback several times because we couldn't make up ours minds, but never felt pressurised to buy at any time. A bit on the pricey side, but well worth it. We needed a custom made track railing for our curtains and it only took 2 weeks for it to be made. Installation by their tema was painless and took less than 2 hours. Definitely recommended

A great little stationers and whilst the stock in store isn't exhaustive, if there is something you…read moreare looking for then they can usually order it in the very next day for no extra cost. Brilliant service and competitive prices. They have a good range of pens, some office furniture and single paper stick to chose from. They have some essential craft stock from spray mount to inks, as well as staplers and bull dog clips. Delta Pi doesn't have a car park and on street parking can be difficult unless you leave one in the car with the engine running whilst the other hops out.

I love Delta Pi - the shop isn't massive, but they pack a wide range in - with a leaning towards…read moreart supplies rather than endless stacks of A4 notepads. The staff are knowledgeable and keen to help - I've been trying to source a particular type of ceramic blade, and whilst the man in the shop had never heard of it he took down all the details and is going to enquire with his suppliers to see if he can help. It's this kind of level of service that you would never EVER get in a big chain like WH Smiths!

I am a fan of this quirky gift and interiors shop. They are a small spot in the city packed with…read moreplenty to look at and buy. From furniture to cards there is a treasure trove feel to this store. I love the science inspired gifts, clothing, and interior pieces. Especially the science inspired children's clothes that don't make science for boys and not for girls. Finally! Surprisingly there are lots of affordable gift items alongside much more investment pieces here. It works and it doesn't. In that the huge furniture pieces don't really belong or work in small city centre apartments. But the framed prints, mugs, and kitchen towels are great. And I can see how these must be very popular. The store is quiet so you have no competition to peruse the items in stock. And as the store owners rotate stock on a regular basis, it is worth chatting to them if you're looking for something specific. There is also a Vincent Van Doodle pop up on Link Street at the moment so you can have a quick browse without diverting off to Commercial Street, which is a little out of the way from the main shopping areas.

Until this branch of Lakeland opened, I had to travel to Shrewsbury or Worcester to get my…read morehousehold essentials. Quelle beast! I say "essentials" but actually I mean: "random household gimmicks that suckers like me can't resist". It is a crazy shop, selling things like banana guards, mushroom bags and non-slip cupboard liners. You can even buy travel plugs, for when your hotel room sink is somewhat lacking. Mad stuff aside; they also sell some incredibly useful odds and ends, especially when it comes to home baking paraphernalia. The Solihull branch is the only one in the Birmingham area, making it something of a novelty. The Lakeland brand is built on solid quality customer service. They will never quibble when it comes to refunds or faulty items. The staff know the stock inside out. The Solihull store is spread over two floors - with kitchen-orientated stock on the ground floor and general home wares and gifts on the top.

This store stocks lots of cooking equipment and helpful things for around the house. I shop here…read morefor Pudsey bear cake cases, Christmas gingerbread making kits and other Christmas makes to get children involved in cooking. It is not the cheapest but I have some roasters and a microwave steamer that I have had for ages so the quality is great! On a negative side I got some measuring spoons that broke within the first week!