A shop and piercing studio, Tizz's is the sort of place I would have cherished back in the heady…read moredays of my angsty grunger youth. It's no surprise that Lewes has a shop like this - in my (very direct) experience, lots of middle-class teens from quite affluent but fairly boring towns, who go to well-to-do schools get into the goth scene. Not fitting into the preppy clique, but leading a fairly sheltered existence which therefore offers no outlet for the tumult of misdirected, hormone-induced energy, getting a couple of piercings, smoking weed in the churchyards and listening to emo music is standard procedure. Tizz'z stocks the sort of stuff you get at stalls at music festivals, or in Camden market, e.g. Pin badges, black/neon striped tights, body jewellery, t-shirts with the superman logo on, wristbands, fairy wings, incense, etc etc. It doesn't have quite the same appeal for me now as it used to, but for the target market this place must be great. Also, they have a piercing studio at the back so Lewes' teens can act out and get their noses/belly button pierced without having to make the trek into Brighton.

If you need a sterling silver thumb ring [chosen from a hundred], incense sticks, black nail…read morevarnish, and a quirky card, this is the place that you need to visit. This is a lovely little grotto-type place with lots of interesting little things to look at. I've visited less in the past few years, but it's nice to know that it's still there. It's the sort of place you'd find in the lanes in Brighton.

I must be a huge phillistine, because as I was taking notes of this Marston Barrett, one of my main…read morepoints, was that it is an "upmarket H. Samuels" Well to back myself up. It is to an extent. I mean they sell watches, and jewellery, and lots of them. There you go, just like H. Samuel...O.K. I am a phillistine. But more than that, this shop is a really great place to get some actually nice, fancy jewellery for your loved one's and I would say the style is more mother/grandmother than contemporary/girlfriend kinda thing. As well as the delicate necklaces and broaches, they also have a selection of silver trays and other family airloom type items, or just everyday cutlery for some (depends on how posh you are!).

This is a really pretty jewellers. I love the muddy green painted front and lovely stained glass…read moretrim on the windows. They sell a mix of contemporary, vintage and antique jewellery in all its enchanting forms- rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets. I particularly like their art deco jewellery- they always have stunning brooches, earrings, pendants and bracelets all in the classic deco shapes in diamond, sapphire, ruby and emerald. Very lovely to press my nose up to! I have been in to ask about their pearl necklaces (my mum was hankering after one for Christmas) and they were very friendly. Considering the chic factor in Lewes, the prices are reasonable.

Some fantastic jewellery! This very small workshop that has…read moresome truly beautiful jewellery and lovely helpful staff. You have to go and see the superb quality for yourself. The location of the shop is not the easiest to find as it's in a building full of other workshops.

Although Jewel Purpose does sell some ready made jewellery, the shop is primarily a workshop, and…read moreit is clear that much of the business is making items to order. I went in with my mum who was investigating getting a ring she has duplicated. The man who works there was very helpful, running her through all the various options and giving a quote for how much it would cost in different metals. It seems like Jewel Purpose would be a good place to come if you need a pice of jewellery mended, or you have a stone that needs setting, and so forth. The owner also has an extremely cute Jack Russell!

Drew is an extremely helpful and patient man who can create you a masterpiece or repair anything. I…read morecommissioned a large ring from him that is more like a napkin holder (!) and it was made with precision and care - I am extremely pleased. He has since made another gold band for me and now I will not go anywhere else if it's jewellery related. He was recommended to me by my father-in-law who has sent several people his way, and all have had the same result as me. If you want a mass produced item then go to the high street - if you want a proper repair or something made to your own design, he is without a doubt your man.

I don't know anything about Jewellery, but I do know about what makes me happy and aesthetically…read morepleased, and I do know what is original to my own taste's and knowledge, and Jonathan Swan's workshop ticks all of these. The Jewellery seems to be a mix of so many different styles. If you look at the pictures I have added from his website you will understand. Exhibit A seems as though it is influenced by traditional British, Early modern and tudor style etchings. Exhibit B looks as though it is a modern reworking of a traditional Gaelic pattern whilst Exhibit C looks as though you could imagine it on a 60's hipster, as well as an African mystic. These are just three items, and there is so much more at the shop in Lewes. If you have some money to spend and you want something that is truly unique and beautiful I can't recommend this shop highly enough. Even if you have no money, just come here to look at what there is, and it might make you happy just to look at, I know it did me.

Sky-lark is a welcome addition to the Needlemakers shops, selling new paperbacks which range from…read moreclassic authors to new novelists. They also stock a very interesting range of music and film, with a strong emphasis on world films and folk music, both of which I enjoy. It's not all media though, they also sell chunky fair-trade jewellery and textiles, made from co-ops in India and Africa. The problem for shops like this in general is that although a lot of effort goes into selecting the stock, as a small independent retailer the CDs, books and films are mostly at full price (e.g. about £13 for an album £8 for a book). Although I'm likely to see something I want in here, I'll probably - I'm sorry to say - just go home and buy it from play.com or iTunes, and get it cheaper. But at any rate, it is a pleasant shop for a browse, and the poems in the window are sweet, if a little earnest

What an absolute gem of a shop. Beautifully laid out, half bookshop,half Aladdin's Cave full of…read morefair trade gifts, local prints and jewellery, rugs, glassware, even scores of unusual seed varieties. The staff are friendly and knowedgeable and the selection of books, though relatively small is exceptionally fine, covering poetry, travel and nature writing, society, memoirs, new fiction and the wonderful Barefoot Books for children. There's a kind of international feel to the place too, with the foreign films and music by the likes of desert bluesmen Tinariwen and catalan rumba outfit Ojos de Brujos. I must disagree one aspect of Georgia A's review. Leaving aside what to my mind is her rather apalling suggestion that the place could be used as a kind of handy 3-D research base before buying cheaper elsewhere (if we all do that Georgia, obviously these places for "pleasant browsing" will disappear anyway, doh!), I noticed both a book sale area with many books less than half price, and an offer of 3 cds for £20. In any case, such a concentration of good stuff in one place doesn't have an internet equivalent, the more unusual titles available here aren't actually discounted by Play et al anyway, and obviously here you can take .away and enjoy whatever caught your eye, immediately. Certainly one of the best shops in Lewes, do seek it out if you are in town!

Until I came to write this review, I always though this shop was called Carpaccio - and I couldn't…read morequite understand why they had named themselves after a raw meat dish. However I stand corrected, and although I don't know anything about the origins of the actual name, I no longer associate this place with pounded raw beef. This is another Lewes clothes shop aimed at middle aged women. This one has a bit more of a distinctive, ethnic-y vibe than some of the others; unlike Darcey or Renwick Clarke which just put me in mind of three piece suites and pristine lawns, Capriccio has slightly more bohemian feel. They sell those striped, handwoven basket bags from Kenya that I associate with the 80s, mostly because my mum used to have one. The clothing labels have names like 'Masai,' 'Sahara' and 'Oska,' and feature drapey, crepey tunics, and other unstructured pieces. They have some nice dressing gowns in ethnic prints, and also a nice selection of hats, including a stretchy straw hat that folds down flat. I am currently in the market of a nice sun hat, so I tried one on, but at £40 it was more than I wanted to spend. They also sell espadrilles and chunky jewellery pieces.

Trailed up the High St looking for a 'party' top and cardigan that weren't pastel and cashmery, and…read moreCapriccio were the only contenders. Their clothes are of clear, jewel-like colours and interesting textures, with a bit of ethnic element. Not cheap, but class shows. (NB I have no connection with Capriccio!) I hate clothes-shopping, and I was so pleased to find somewhere that suited me, so that I could buy a couple of nice things and head home.

Here we have something that you don't see every day - a traditional horologist restoring fabulous…read morelarger time pieces to full working order. The window display alone is quite a sight to behold and it's only in so doing that I realised that I don't believe that I've ever seen a place of this nature with a shop front at all. Of course from time to time you find the odd jeweller who can restore a watch or change a battery for you but to find a company who make it their business to take on full size 18th century Grandfather clocks is quite something else.