What a delightful establishment this is! I might even go as far as to say delectable!…read more Nook & Cranny stocks a veritable cornucopia of gorgeous gifts, stationery and homewares, all utterly charming. The first thing that caught my eye (and drew me in from my journey up Bold Street) were the beautiful Cable & Cotton fairy lights displayed in the window - these stunning textured, multi coloured, orb fairy lights are just magical and certainly set the scene for the rest of the shop. There is so much to gaze or chuckle at and drool over in Nook & Cranny that I just wouldn't know where to start telling you all about it but other highlights include the bear paw oven mitts, the 'My Cuppa Tea' colour matching guide mug and the Knit Your Own Zoo kit. I was in seventh heaven. Imagine my delight when I discovered that the back of the shop (which used to be storage space) has now been turned into a cosy little cafe called Quills & Coffee. Sadly I couldn't stay to sample any of the beautiful looking cakes but I vowed there and then to visit again as soon as possible. Yet more delight...Nook & Cranny and Quills & Coffee put on occasional film screenings at the back of the store!! The next one is American Beauty on Saturday 28th March at 7pm - tickets are £10 and include free drinks and pizza and available from www.nookandcrannyshop.co.uk. Magic

This is a fantastic independent biz that I ventured into when in Liverpool a couple of weeks back…read more We actually held an event in the back part of the business and I didn't realise it existed until Liverpool CA Gemma A introduced me to it - but the space is really cavernous and it was great to temporarily see Quills coffee set up in the back. Very very cool cards and gifts throughout, I was especially impressed with the awesome range of band music posters in the back - everything from Queens of the stone age to classic hiphop ones - really worth a look if you're nearby and fancy some colourful artwork to brighten up your walls. Very friendly staff, they hopefully will do well in this prime location in Liverpool.

I took my Mum here recently and she adored it! On second glance, I realised that I too was finding…read moretrinkets and treats galore in every corner. Whilst it's your standard gift shop, housing all kinds of clocks, jewellery, scented candles, and the like, the items inside are actually pretty unique and interesting. I remember being particularly enamoured of their clocks, so perhaps enough hints will get me one for Christmas... ! The main event on this occasion was the jewellery. My Mum needed to pick up some gifts for the girls at work and so spent a good deal of time deciding over a few of the items that were artfully displayed on this lovely fake tree. I ended up chatting with the lady about the tree and she gave me some suggestions of where to find one, as this would solve a myriad of problems in storing my many necklaces and earrings! In the end Mum opted for two of the bracelets, sort of chunky gemstone and shiny beaded ones, and she was really pleased. The lovely lady was really patient with us whilst we mulled over the options and all in all it was a really pleasant shopping experience. One to watch for Christmas goodies!

Ilkley, darling, has a higher caliber of people, I am told, therefore their gift shops meet the…read moreneeds of these - the middle aged, the higher-middle class and the higher-earning. Bluebell Gifts is one of a few gift shops in Ilkley, a nicer shop than anything you will find towards the city of Leeds, even in the Victoria Quarter or Chapel Allerton. It sells a large range of gifts that would come under the home-ware category. Many of these are of a designer and novelty kind. There are Alessi corkscrews and salt shakers, in the shape of people; Black Ginger chopping boards in silhouettes of cats; Cath Kidston and Emma Bridgewater china that you have probably seen in someone's kitchen at some point. All of this is luxury and would make a good gift for any home-owner. They also sell scented candles, soft toys, wedding gifts, and amazingly coloured tea pot and tea cup clocks. I loved these and would have impulse-bought one if they weren't about £50!

Brilliant little store! Full of vintage odds and ends from the early 1900s. Signs, soap, cuff…read morelinks, books, posters, bags, cups, candy, cards, ornaments, etc etc etc. Perfect shop for fans of old-school!

Highly recommend great gifts and lace friendly staff.read more

A beautiful little shop on the corner right outside Alty Market. I've been in here a couple of…read moretimes but still not bought anything - although I've been temped by the flat pack cardboard tanker for cats both times... There's a lot of beautiful things in here. Like Moth on Burton Road, but more gifts for men and more colourful. There's jewellery, kids toys, cards, home accessories, etc. A perfect place to wander around or pick up a present! The only downside is it's a bit on the pricey end.

This is a lovely named shop so again I was intrigued to go in here and see what they had on offer…read more It is similar to most of the other shops on the main street, offering cards and gifts and other little things. It is quite large and has all sorts to offer. So if you are looking for a little something for someone you most probably will find something here.

Very nice shop, selling lovely ornaments, novelty gifts, models, candles and a lot more…read more Very clean shop with usually the sounds of cuban music in the background, the guy who owns the place is very helpful and pleasant. Definately worth a look.

My friend and I were going for a wee jaunt in Rawdon and we came across this delightful shop. She…read morehad just passed her driving test so I suggested a drive out to a random Leeds town and we decided to visit Rawdon - it was a total off the cuff find! The layout of the shop is most curious, being on the corner of the street almost, the shop itself opens out on the the street at both sides! This was a little disorientating from the inside, but I soon cottoned on. From one entrance you were met with a plethora of beautiful glass ware, hand made delightful wine glasses, little trinkets and key rings, beautiful cardigans, home ware tea sets and other gorgeous gift items. My favourite of this room was a lovely Indian (?) style lamp shade like a metal framed globe with different coloured gems which made up the body of it. At £55 I decided to think on it, but it was beautiful. Upstairs was a gallery of different floral prints, material prints and other really interesting art works. In the other room through to the other side of the street was a lovely hand made card section (situated in the through-fare) and then a gorgeous jewellery and toy section where we were greeted by a lovely sales lady. The shop is beautifully laid out, with exquisite and imaginative gift items from all kinds of indie designers and crafters, and it was most definitely worth stopping by. Prices range with some sale pieces, but expect to take a while as it is mesmerising!

This is a really lovely gift shop and emporium of beautiful things!…read more It is just by Rawdon Traffic lights so really easy to find. The shop stocks lots of lovely, unusual gift items for a variety of budgets. It is a wonderful place to go in for a browse around (no doubt you will find something you love) or to look for a special present. This shop is always my first port of call when looking for a mother's day present, or gifts for my other female relatives. Staff are happy to help and quick to come up with helpful suggestions if you are struggling for ideas. It can be a little expensive, but makes up for this with the convenience of it's location

This particular Wizzard Cards & Gifts shop in St. Helen's sells a terrific variety of bits and…read morepieces which are ideal for small presents and special celebratory occasions. In addition to offering a selection of ornaments, scary and cute looking toys as well as holographic artwork, they also have a small fancy dress section towards the rear of the shop and sell a range of cheeky adult toys. So, if you pop into Wizzard, you might be in for more than what you bargained for after a wonderous browse! Expect a contrasting variety of cards and gifts from the innocent and cute to the downwright naughty and scary! Overall, the shop has friendly staff as they kindly helped me look for the card I was searching for and at affordable prices, you can't really go wrong.

This has to be the ultimate gift shop! If you need a present…read morefor someone, special or otherwise, you are most likely to find something here. they have gifts from mugs to t-shirts to jewellery.the list seems to be endless, but probably isn't. They even have the cards, tags and wrapping paper to finish off your present.

This children and adults gift shop on Chorlton Cum Hardy's beautiful Beech Road is a treasure…read moretrove. It stocks everything from retro John Lennon prints to slogan mugs ( I bought one saying Desperate Housewife). If you are an attention to detail addict like moi ( some would say suffering from OCD, but I beg to differ), and you like sending beautifully wrapped pressies then Loop is your shop. My heart stopped beating at the divine fairy wrapping paper and I may just return and buy a sheet to put in a frame. Don't laugh, this isn't just wrapping paper, it is art!! There is also a great selection of gift cards and what I found really handy is Loop sells decade birthday cards; I recently found it an ordeal locating an 80th card but loop has these is abundance. Familiar brands such as Burt Bees and Charlie and Lola litter shelves with sweet Mr Men mugs. Prices are varied but a little on the steep side as leather handbags are priced at £105 and Toby Tiger babygrows start at £21.50. Loop has two room packed full of interesting things and the rear room showcased some seriously funky lighting and black and white photographs. The shop assistant was really nice but I left empty-handed. Loop is perfect for a special birthday gift but it would have to be for someone I really liked if I spent that much!

loop! is one of the only shops on Beech Road that I don't feel a bit embarrassed about going in,…read moredue to the fact that it is the only one that is larger than my bedroom. loop! isn't the kind of shop you'd go into every day, but is great for a browse when looking for gifts. They stock games and puzzles (including fun but educational gift sets for kids), pictures and frames, vases and some children's clothes. Personally I love the Edward Monkton series so this is where I go to pick up EM cards and knick-knacks. So if you've got a birthday coming up and have to buy a gift for the person that already has everything, then loop! would be a good place to start. If, like me, once you've found the perfect gift you get the sellotape stuck to the wrong bit of the wrapping paper and then bodge up the ends, then it might be wise to take advantage of their gift wrapping service too.

Much less incognito now it has a cafe set up out front…read more Coffee strong and nice, served with ice water and a slice of lemon, nice twist, if you will. I'm loving the new trend of serving coffee with water in hot weather. Nice atmosphere and probably more for groups than a solo act tbh, can't moan though, lovely blend, will try a crepe or a quesadilla when I have not been filled by a home sweet home breakfast another day. The outdoor seating, although on Stevensons square is absolutely fine as it feels set back Enough from the street as to not feel congested... Also, the little vanilla biscuit spoon is a lovely touch. Will be back!

Incognito is exactly that; the number of times I have walked past and totally forgotten about its…read moreexistence is to be frank quite ridiculous. Once you step inside, you're a treasure trove the likes of Fred Aldous but with more focus on the gadgets and home decor than arts and crafts. Goodies here range from the practical - cards, retro rotary phones, beautifully decorated jewellery boxes - to the slightly silly - otter patterned tin, briefcase shaped cheese grater, skull light. (Who am I kidding, the cheese grater is amazing.) If you're struggling to find something for the person who has everything, this is a great place to start.