I just spent a lot of money at Dunelm Mill last week to get some things for my new house. They have…read morea lot to choose from and have some really good sales. For example, I just got some fully-lined heavy velvet curtains that were £60 marked down to £19.99. I also got a 6ft long roller blind for my kitchen window that was marked down to a fiver. I also bought all new bedding, not on sale, that was still good value for the money. My bed is so comfy now! And the woman that was working the floor in the bedding department helped us gather what we wanted and also knew exactly what date some pillowcases we wanted would be back in stock. I also know from experience that they are happy to accept returns as I bought a set of curtains that was the wrong size. I brought them back for a painless exchange.

Easy access and loads of parking. Dunelm Mill has everything for the home. The fabric selection is…read moreamazing. They have the rolls stored in colour schemes and offer samples on request. I was interested in making some eyelet top curtains, and the staff member I spoke to regarding the sew-in eyelets was extremely helpful. The fabrics are cut at your request. There is everything you need to make the curtains - thread, lining, eyelets,wires. They also stock a great selection of poles, blinds and readymade curtains. At the moment they have a huge volume of christmas products - definitely worth a look

Loads of Wallpaper - you are bound to find one you like. Very good prices and trendy designs…read moreavailable aswell as more classic styles. Upstairs they have a very cool area with more expensive items to dress your homeif only!

Beltin'! What's not to love about this shop? Whenever I'm in Lancaster I pop in - mainly to stock…read moreup on lunch box goodies - knocks the socks off supermarket prices. Other bargains - well i always get my sun tan lotion from there. If you're not bothered about packaging being this year's or even necessarily in English then this is the shop for you. Come Christmas time if you have a hoard of lil uns to buy for then this shop comes up trumps - lots of gifts for not bad prices. The best thing about it? You never know what you're going to find in there, pop in, you might be surprised

This shop is great. When I first moved to my student accommodation I needed all my home…read morefurnishings. This place had some quality stuff at top prices, I go most of my stuff just from here. When they say half price or less, they really mean it. Stuff's so cheap it's unbelievable. Its in the town center, just turn right at HMV (from the main center) and go down to the end!

Really excellent, not just the Debenhams, as I am talking in depth and overall, of the Lanes…read moreShopping Centre, and the other stores, and in the the Scotch and English Streets. I loved this street and indoor shopping malls, as it is boasts a wide range of stores, which are suitable for me, and I have visited this shopping area nearly too often, and do enjoy browsing through, even they have a great car park area all over the carlisle area. Even there are many great restaurants, cafes, shops, bookstores, clothes stores, mobile phone stores, and everything else. I feels like I can be able to get everything in these streets. Once time my sister have came over to Carlisle to stay with me, and we went out for a day worth of shopping experience, and my sister originally thought it would be rubbish day, but she was amazed on how great the town are, and offers loads of things, and she was overly impressed with the location, and everything else, as it is quite near to the train station, bus stations, and even near to the car parks. She said that she would definitely come back there again. so after a month or so she came back with pocketful of cash! For a shopping experience, I would recommend you come during the good weather, as it is open roofed on the Scotch and English Streets. But if it is raining, and you can go in the glass roof topped mall in the Lanes Centre. It is very conveniently placed and totally near to everything else! Even near to the park, and near to the River Eden, and near to the nightlife as well!

This a great department store and I was so pleased when it arrived about ten years ago. It has a…read morefantastic range of womenswear including many designer lables such as Star by Julien Mcdonald and John Rocha. I totally love the Pineapple sportswear and Oasis is fantastic although the outlet is a little small with a limited amount of their clothing. They do a nice range of Wedding dresses which are a lot cheaper than the boutiques and you can buy them off the peg. I also really like their bridesmaid dresses which are great quality. The shop is spread over three floors which are all really accessible with the escalators and there are lifts aswell. The range of perfumes and beauty products is huge and there are often some great batgains on the box sets. I also really like the childrenswear and in particular the Junior J range by Jasper Conran. It seems to wash really well which is great when you have a toddler. The menswear is on the bottom floor and stocks a lot of designer labels and also some surprises such as Cragghoppers which I only noticed the other day. Their Homewares section is really big and again includes items from the designers, although it does seem to be quite expensive and you are paying for the name. The cafe is huge and overlooks the castle which is a really nice view. In store there is also a wedding list service and a free personal shopping service. There are also some toilets located next to the cafe which are always really clean.

If your after a birthday present for that trendy friend who's difficult to buy for then this is the…read moreshop for you, an Aladdin's cave for all sorts of trendy kitchen and home wares. Martin and Warren as I have come to know them (yes I shop here a lot) are very keen to help and give ideas on what to buy, their service is second to none. And when you've finished shopping why not pop next door to Pizza Express for lunch? There is a pay and display car park just up the yard from the store.

Nice large garden centre in the south lakes. Every thing you might need for the garden or country…read moresetting. Not cheap but it's all about quality.

My garden's quite small, but I found some lovely pieces here that make it look just terrific.read more

At Christmas 2012 I received a Gift a Voucher for £20 from Tessara Gift Shop in Castle Douglas. Not…read morecoming from Castle Douglas I found it outwith my visiting remit and unfortunately was unable to make the journey specifically to visit the shop to spend the voucher which was only valid for a year. Because of this I wrote to Tessara returning the expired voucher under explanation of my reasons for being unable to use it and asking if they would respectfully re-validate it. On Wednesday 15th January I received a reply from Jenny Cuningham advising "In response to your letter regarding your Gift Voucher, I am sorry to inform you that we are unable to extend the validation of any Gift Vouchers". I would not recommend this outfit to anybody who choses to buy Gift Vouchers for those who are outwith easy access to the town. Her decision was in bad taste and an easy way of making money through her Gift Voucher scheme. In my opinion this is appalling trading behaviour and she does not deserve the trade so beware.

The Barn Yew Tree Barn is a stunning 19th Century…read moreWestmorland barn, and is set back from the road with a decent amount of car parking.It is home to a collection of businesses. Only the ground floor is wheelchair accessable. The Gallery, set against the barn's original beams and whitewashed walls, showcases contemporary art and design-led crafts: jewellery, ceramics, textiles, paintings, sculpture, and gifts and also hosts regular exhibitions and demonstrations. Graham Glynn Ceramics working in high-fired stoneware, produces a wide range of thrown and hand-built pottery, from mugs and bowls to large sculptural pieces for the home or garden. Private commissions are always welcome. Tel: 015395 30012 Ian Johnson as Lakeland Photography has been selling images of the Lake District since 1993. Taken using only natural light, the images are sold as cards and framed or unframed endprints. Tel: 01539 824345 http://www.lakelandphotography.co.uk W.R.S. Architectural Antiques is a reclamation yard. From functional to decorative, there is a stock of unusual and inspiring items for the home and garden. Expert advice is available to assist with queries about antiques, garden statuary, reclaimed building materials, ironmongery, period fireplaces and multi-fuel stoves on 015395 31498. http://www.yewtreebarn.co.uk Silver Forge produces unique hand-crafted jewellery. the studio is open most days, and a varied collection of work is on display. They also run jewellery-making workshops. Tel: 015395 30306 http://www.silverforge.co.uk Gary Eccles Furniture & Restoration Gary is a Furniture Maker and Restorer specializing in 17th-19th century pieces. He makes traditional handmade furniture in reclaimed, new & painted pine, oak, elm and native woods. He also offers a bespoke kitchen service. Tel: 07968 735 550 Casey Allum Art Casey works predominantly in oils to produce artworks with a personal touch - portraits of family members, pets or bespoke pieces for your home or office. Limited prints, originals, personalised cards for any occasion. Weekend 'Kiddy' art classes are available. Tel: 07772 321043 http://www.casey-allum-art.co.uk

Over the years, I've developed a passion for food and cooking. Kitchen gadgets and cookbooks are my…read moreweakness and I'm always on the lookout for more of these Lakeland started off life as Lakeland Plastics, selling special bags for food storage and cooking and has developed into a general cookery store with rapid growth throughout the UKin the last few years. In fact, a Lakelands store opening in your town could be the sign that you've finally made it officially into middle class! On our recent holiday to the Lake District, the girlfriend and I had to pop into their flagship store, which was locate right next to Windermere train station - in fact, you can drive through the station car park to get to it As befits a flagship store, they have a fountain and an impressive building. There's a cafe on the first floor, which had a waiting list when we arrived and the shopfloor is on the ground floor There are Lakland products laid out in easy to find fashion that you can browse to your heart's content. I remember coming here years ago and wanting to buy the entire shop. However, on this visit, I enjoyed looking round but there was really nothing which I wanted to buy for the kitchen Having just been to Sur la Table and Williams Sonoma in the USA, Lakeland seems more for the fun cook. Where was the serious knife counter with a professional to advise on the best blade for a specific task and for you? Actually, I think the presence of more staff to tell you about their new fin range of cookware, the sous vide water baths and the fun looking cook in the cup cake mugs would have made it a more fun experience. Perhaps some demonstration stations I may have outgrown Lakeland but I'm glad that it's there to encourage people to get into the kitchen more

I am about to rain on people's parade…read more I haven't visited the store in Cumbria, but used their online service. I cannot argue about the gadgets, and wide range of appliances, I can say the delivery stinks. I ordered something on the 30/9/13, and paid £2.99 (£3s in my book), it was finally delivered on the 7/1013. I'm sorry but it wasn't a large item; they have to get slicker. There's an organisation based in Hull, and the item was bigger, but they promised next day delivery if ordered before 1am on the day of delivery, and free!!! £2.99, and it takes 7 days..... This ain't good in the world of e-commerce. The item is much loved by my wife, else I'd have dropped it down to a 2 star. That is the impact you have on people's expectations and perception. I hope they read these reviews, and think hard about their delivery policy, or whoever they deal with for their deliveries, in this case it was HERMES (not quite the Olympian God).