A pretty small WHSmith store in the Birmingham NEC, it is right next to the entrance to the…read moreconnected Birmingham International Station, so provides useful access to grab a snack/drink for your train, or if you're getting the Air-Rail Link into Birmingham Airport. They had a small selection of books, snacks and beverages, the prices are pretty high here, similar pricing to what you'd pay at Birmingham Airport but with a smaller selection. They do have a manned counter but this never seems to be in use, in favour of self-service machines, again this is one of the things which confuses me most about WHSmith as self-service machines isn't too good for the non-tech savvy elderly. 3* - Pretty good location for the NEC, Railway Station and Airport, but do plan ahead if you can to avoid this one.

There are Charity Shops and then there's Oxfam Book & Music!…read more Dedicated entirely to Books, CD's and DVD's, the shop is inviting and is well laid out with some fantastic stock which is regularly updated. While not a big store, it genuinely has a book shop feel to it with classical music playing in the background and a small area for sitting and reading. While the books aren't as cheap as other charity shops, you're much more likely to find a gem here. Recommended!

The Oxfam book and music shop in Knowle came up trumps today. I'd been experimenting with the…read morekindle i-pad app for my current read Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and it hadn't been going too well if I am honest. With my next book club meeting looming I was in desperate need of a traditional copy of this work. So, as I was passing, I popped into this store on the off chance. Not for the first time my prayers were answered by an Oxfam shop. Sitting waiting for me was just the book I needed, in paperback and in excellent condition for a mere £2.99. I quickly browsed the rest of the store and it was in perfect condition. There is a nice reading area at the front of the store if you want to take your book purchasing a bit slower than mine. They also have a small but good selection of DVDs, CDs and vinyl. Thanks once again Oxfam!

Well, Christmas is now two months away and festive preparations are gradually taking place…read moreeverywhere. I was looking for some cute Christmas gifts for my kids and nephews. While searching for the same, I cam across https://www.theworks.co.uk/page/christmas-shop. They have some great gifts at cheap prices.

Am I the only person to ever notice how many sales this shop seems to have, im not faulting however…read moreI just think that there is only many times a year a shop can have a sale and the prices never seem to change. its a great little shop and definately worth having amooch around, you never know what you may find and if your lucky it will be a genuine bargain, I do think however they should lose the word sale that is forever in the windows.

This is pretty much your average WHSmith, which you'll find on pretty much every high street of…read moreevery town or city in the UK, it is located in the Mell Square area of Solihull town centre, a short walk away from Touchwood The store does close fairly early, closing at 17:30 during the week, so it is one of the first shops in town to shut for the day, it would be nice to see them open until at least 18:00, which in my opinion is still early to close, but at least this is in line with the majority of other shops nearby, such as Boots next store and the Touchwood Shopping Centre. The store is a reasonable size and includes a Post Office, gone are the days of the gross old-fashioned carpet, and in comes a hard wooden floor, with the store looking much fresher since the refurb. The store had a reasonable selection, mainly in terms of stationery, cards and other miscellaneous type items you'd expect to find, I would say I was unimpressed by the fridge section however, with the choice of drinks very minimal. Boots next store had both lower prices and more choices! 3* - OK, pretty much filling the average quota that WHSmith must be on every high street, nothing too exciting or special, but far from awful.

This isn't the best WH Smiths I've ever been in. It feels like they try to cram to much stuff on…read morethe shop floor. The cueing system is laughable as they have only one line for counter and shelf service, which can equal to very long wait times. It's only shaving grace is that all the staff are pleasant and happy to help.

Cute, quaint, quirky, cosy and homely little bookstore-come-cafe (:…read more It's average opening hours are 11-6 during which time you can grab a slice of cake, tea, coffee etc, have a peruse through some books, and chill on their big comfy sofa! I find a lot of coffee places just don't really want you stay and they have hard, uncomfy furniture to reflect that. But not here! This place often has events that extend its opening hours, too. My favourite is the 'big comfy folk club' which are folk and acoustic sessions hosted on the 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. Next one is on 4th March and tickets are only a fiver! Brilliant intimate venue, and the performers usually stick around for a while afterwards which is nice (: OH ALSO, WINE! The big comfy book shop serves alcohol! Live music + book shop + cake + red wine = total winner. See you on the 4th!

I really like The Big Comfy Bookshop!…read more It is a quant used book shop that is family owned. The owner spent over a year compiling books to open his shop, and ever since has kept a good variety of books that are unique to customers, or a popular search result of a used book. There is always fresh coffee, tea options, beer and wine, and some sort of snacks like crisps or cake for sale. Seating is available to hang out with friends for a little while or to start tucking into your future purchase. Also I noticed that live folk music nights and game nights regularly occur here too! Great place!