As a pedestrian, there is a small part of the walk that is not pedestrian friendly, which is why I…read morewas a little shocked that there was no pedestrian walk connecting this shopping area with the B&Q. Anyway, it is quite a large store... I didn't even make it upstairs because I had already spent so much time downstairs. There are a couple of clearance sections starting on the right wall near the tills. And... fortunately the first clearance section is yarn (or knitting wool). Unfortunately the yarn isn't labeled properly so it is difficult to figure out how much the yarn costs. That wouldn't have been a problem if there had been some staff to help, but there was only one lady on the tills who may have been training and I'm not sure where everyone else was. One of the reasons I took off a star. However, the selection for any craft you happen to be undertaking is amazing. They have supplies for baking, knitting/crochet, model building, felting, cross stitch, sewing, art supplies, etc. This could be a very dangerous store for my wallet ;). The other reason I took a star off is that the yarn section was a bit bare. It looked like a 3 for 2 sale, so probably why the shelves were bare, but still it didn't provide much for variety. And it was difficult to figure out what was part of the 3 for 2 sale, but again, there was no one to ask. However, the one item that I was quite impressed with and will have to investigate on another visit is the "yarn" made out of jersey material called Boodles. They also had a nice selection of books/magazines for crochet. Typically there are loads of books/magazines for knitters, but not crocheters... so this was a nice surprise. However, there were not a lot of choices for crochet hooks, especially for Tunisian Crochet, but I will probably inspect the online inventory to see if I can order some of these. When I did go to check out, they had added another staff member to the tills because there had been a line and what I really appreciated was when the staff member checked the lot numbers on my yarn and asked if it was ok that the lot numbers were different. Those of you who crochet or knit know how important lot numbers can be, however, because this was off of the clearance shelf and I did have a look and as far as I could tell there wasn't a huge amount of difference, but it is a variegated yarn so I think the changes in the colours will actually be hidden. Overall it is a great stop for crafters!

Not a bad shop for craft-related materials. Let's start with the positives: there's plenty of…read moreparking, a fairly wide range of stock, and the prices are competitive (by and large). The downside from my visit was the customer service; there was huge long queue at the check-out and two assistants standing chatting to each other for seemingly ages before one of them showed the initiative to open another till. Perhaps I just caught them on an off-day but it didn't make for a happy customer. All in all -- OK, but nothing special.

Incredible art store. I was blown away by how well stocked the store is. I loved the top floor with…read morecool crafts and unique art gifts to purchase. The second floor had every art supplies I could dream of, and the bottom floor was an amazing selection of paper and canvas. Truly a great art store for all

Incredible place, but dangerous at the same time as you could easily spend a lot of money in here!…read more The first time I popped in was when I needed a few items for an event and I thought I'd gamble on Fred Aldous having the stuff I needed - they did! Anything you need for arts & craft or decorations they have it and with some good choice! I've now been in a few times when I need to pick up bits and bobs or essentials for work i.e. scissors etc. Loads of interesting present and gift ideas in here as well so if you're out and about birthday shopping or it's coming up to christmas - I'd say Fred Aldous is a great option with some similar style stuff to Oklahoma! Most of the stuff here is well priced and I've always been fairly surprised that my total wasn't higher when purchasing as I think the interior and style gives off an expensive vibe but really it's good value for money! A short simple review for a top NQ shop!

It's a very small shop but they have lovely little gifts and it's all fair trade…read more Just what you need to both assuage your guilt and your sugar craving mid-afternoon: you can satisfy your coco habit with fair trade mostly 'divine chocolate'. It's a great place for little nik-naks too, inexpensive stocking fillers, tiny treats and other cute bits and bobs. Love the place. Need to go more often really!

A very useful shop to know about!…read more Justicia is a fairtrade shop, meaning they only sell fairtrade produce -- stuff which guarantees a better deal for producers in less developed countries. They boast the widest selection of fairly traded goods in Bolton, which is quite an achievement as there are no small number of places in Bolton that have committed themselves to fairtrade principles. Although specialising in craft, they also sell other fairtrade goods such as some food and stationery. The prices they charge are quite reasonable (I understand they are a non-profit organisation) and the staff are amongst the friendliest I have ever come across. There are some Council car parks near by, but you will have to pay to park there. All in all, however, this shop is definitely worth a visit -- particularly in the run-up to Christmas if you're short of gift ideas.

I usually hate picking cards. There is simply too much choice in those massive card shops that you…read morefind in town centres. What you really want is not twenty-odd types of jam but about six, as that experiment goes. Because otherwise you will be flummoxed by too much choice. So, with a cardshop you want a well edited selection as you have in Archie's instead of every card ever printed in the North West. Also, come here for cheap wrapping paper. Wrapping presents beautifully is a lost art, I think. It is so insulting when someone just bangs your gift in a gift bag (sticker still on the bottom and everything). Here they have paper and bows and that thin ribbon stuff that you can wrap round to make people feel special. You have given up 5 minutes of your precious time to make their gift look nice. The gift may possibly be one of the silly things they sell here, I wouldn't necessarily buy any of these don't get me wrong. Maybe it is because a shop I used to work in was a gift shop that had outgrown these roots yet still wrapped every in tissue paper. Still.

If, like me, you're a bit of a crafty b**tard, then a visit to Country Baskets is a must. It's…read moreabout a twenty minute drive from Manchester city centre but well worth the petrol. Don't let the name deceive you. Yes, Country Baskets does sell baskets but you'll also find everything from craft materials (ribbon, sequins, wool, glitter, card, paper, glue, you name it) to decorations for the home and for every type of special occasion you can think of. So be ready for an abundance of huge wicker reindeer, faux flowers, candles, wedding invites, party hats etc. You have to have (or know someone who has) a Country Baskets card, in order to purchase items. I *think* you can sign up for one at the entrance but I used my friend's. Gold members (members with a gold Country Baskets card, nothing to do with Austin Powers) get quite a good discount, so it's worth visiting regularly if you're always buying art materials. I left with a box full of 40 quid's worth of crafty things so that'll keep me busy til my next trip there, which I already can't wait for.

This is a florist supplier so you have to own a business to be able to join like Costco. It is just…read morea big warehouse full of different craft things that you would need to make displays. It's much cheaper for some things like artificial flowers but for other such as ribbon it was no cheaper than Hobby Craft. It's not easily notice from the road but there are signs. The parking is just outside and it is fairly wheel chair accessible. The best time to go is Christmas when they get some really nice things in.