Established in 1975, this specialist picture framer's has a quaint dark green shop front with gold…read morepainted lettering. They have a wide range of different frame types to choose from and do many things other than framing, including restoring old oil paintings and prints, mount cutting and wash lining (don't ask me what the last two things are). The staff at The Picture Framer clearly know their stuff, and it's delightful to see a shop performing such a highly-skilled, specialist service still going strong after 35 years. I will definitely venture to The Picture Framer for any future picture framing needs!

I had an oil painting left to me that my grandfather painted, but it was in a horrible white…read moreplastic-y frame and seemed welded to it so I couldn't easily take it out. I drove past The Leeds Picture Framer every day for a couple of years and onlu spotted it a few weeks ago, so I popped in with the painting, not knowing what to expect. I had no clue how much this sort of thing cost, but the lovely framer man was very kind and patient and explained that it would only be about £20-£30 and helped me pick a frame, and it took a week to do and now looks lovely. It was £25. Thank you Leeds Picture Framer Dude!

OK, so a quick update. This place isn't a Kodak shop any more, but that doesn't mean it isn't a…read moredamn cool little photo shop. Popped in with no less than eight films, from yonks ago, and asked about development prices. He said usually they would cost about £7 each for development and to be put on a disc (no prints) but in this instance he did all eight for a fiver! I thought it was a grand deal, as some of these pictures were ancient and mightn't have developed at all, so I was pretty chuffed. Got them back today, and although there's the standard disappointment in my own photography skills, the whole process was swift and grand. If you ever nip in, no matter what the requirements, the chap in here is sure to do you a cheeky deal. Well worth checking out, and I'm sure he'd have plenty of handy advice should you require it.

If you're looking to get passport photos done for children or babies I would definitely recommend…read moreThe Photo Shop. I just got my daughter's photos done there (she's now 3 weeks old) and previously got my son's done there too (he was about 18 months at the time). Both times the owner was friendly, helpful, and got great photos with none of the stress or fuss I had feared - he made it look easy!

Those with a keen nose for secrets would have already spotted this gem, hidden in plain sight, just…read moreup in Far Headingley. But a stone's throw from Cottage Road Cinema, Sebby's Deli, Beer Ritz and the other gems in the area, this little shop-come-art gallery-come-cafe is a real treat. I've wandered by a few times and cursed myself for not having the time to pay them a visit, so on a weekend wander, I made sure to pick this spot for a coffee. As you go in, there's a counter of fresh goodies right before you, including home baked cakes at seriously cheap prices. They've a deli shelf, with all manner of world-friendly and nicely made things, such as specialist teas, biscuits, Fentimen's drinks, and more. It's a treasure trove of treats, and that's before you've even ventured beyond the initial entry. It appears to be family-run, and the friendly chap who served us was incredibly pleasant, smiley, and welcoming. We ordered two coffees, and went through to the dining room area. This gorgeous front room (the café must be a part of their actual home) is beautifully decked out in red and white table cloths, kitsch little things, a cabinet of locally made jewellery, and all manner of local art adorns the walls. Paintings of various styles take up all available space, making this quaint room come alive with colour. I loved it. Then, you can step through into the secret garden. Literally just across the road at one of the pubs was a crowd of rowdy Otley Runners, and despite still hearing the odd 'waaaaaay!', I felt transported elsewhere. Somewhere serene, safe and as the name suggests, secret. The garden is shaded by a huge tree, and it's a fabulous little spot to sit and enjoy a cuppa. At the time, there was an unfortunate moment, where a fledgling wood pigeon had fallen to the ground and so the lady (who I assume co-runs the cafe) warned us that it was frightened and to watch out for it. The poor thing looked pretty bewildered, fingers crossed it survived the fall and lived to fight another day. The coffees we enjoyed were fabulous, freshly made, and huge. It's not often you get such a generous cup, so you're definitely in for a treat if you're a caffeine fan. They serve a range of sandwiches made to order, croissants, cakes, and other bites too should you feel peckish. This time, I fancied something more brunch-y, but I'll definitely be back soon for a bacon sarnie in the garden! Needless to say, I'm a real fan. It's a local family run business, supporting local artists, who frame pictures too, and serve up a great coffee. What's not to love? Sneak away for a secret moment, it's worth it.

I struggled a bit to find a framer in Leeds who would be able to put the finishing touches (i.e…read more the frame!) on my Dad's birthday present. However, Frame Game's website looked promising so I jumped in a taxi to check it out. I was slightly concerned on arrival to find that Frame Game is in fact on an industrial estate. However, once inside I was reassured by the expertise and guidance the staff showed. A week later the picture was framed and carefully wrapped ready for my collection. I'll be coming back here for all my framing needs moving forwards.

There is a certain something about independent retailers that makes them special, perhaps it's the…read moreattention to customers or the ability to make slightly out of the box decisions, maybe it's the passion that drives them. Whatever it is you will find it by the bucket load here. I'm not a photographer but I have been known to dabble in the past and I was truly misty eyed to find this place full of cameras of a wide vintage most of which needed proper film (for you youngsters that's a sort of light sensitive material that makes magic pictures). I was transported back to my boyhood but not so sentimental that I failed to investigate the possibility of selling some of my cameras (yes they do buy them). I actually went in with a query about a digital camera and the chap offered to take a look free of charge before giving me honest advice which, incidentally, meant no profit for business for himself. If you love cameras you'll love this place.

Can't recommend this place enough. After looking for my first Leica lens for quite some time and…read moretrying out several examples from different shops in London, I am absolutely thrilled with my purchase from WY Cameras. Extremely knowledgable and helpful staff who were very patient with the many questions I had. I ordered from London on Sunday afternoon, and received my new lens on Tuesday. I was quite nervous about ordering a lens through emails and a phone call as I like to handle equipment in person before purchasing, but I couldn't be happier with my purchase. Would definitely recommend this place to any friends or colleagues looking to purchase film camera equipment. Very friendly and knowledgable staff who were a pleasure to deal with. If you're into photography, particularly film photography, I'm sure you'll love this store. Great that there are still places where you can swing by and pick up a Rolleiflex, Hassleblad, Leica, or 4x5.

I visited Art of Gold whilst I was strolling around the shops on a lazy day and was quite amazed at…read morewhat they did. Amongst the paintings and art prints was a Jewellery section. After speaking to the lady in the shop, I found that her son designs and makes his own jewellery in a workshop based inside the shop. he'd trained in Italy for around 5 years before he came back to England to start his own business. All of the jewellery is bespoke and 18 carat. Amongst other jewellery designers, you will find the likes of; Deborah Kelly, Shona Carnegie, Iain Henderson & Lora Leedham. The shop also intends to stock Pandora in the future which I suspect will be extremely popular with the younger crowd. The lady who runs the shop is polite and passionate about the work they display and spent ages chatting over the background behind the art to me. Go speak her, she's got some very funny stories to tell!

I can tell you one thing that I really didn't expect - to find an excellent art gallery within the…read moreheart of Horsforth. It came as no surprise, to me, to find an art gallery in Otley and an art gallery in Leeds city centre - but Horsforth? What a fabulous surprise! So what do they have on offer? A range of arts, in different media and styles, jewellery and gift cards. The limited edition gift cards are of a particularly high quality, not the kind of thing you'll find anywhere else, and just that little bit more expensive - but worth the gesture in my opinion! The jewellery on offer is beautifully made, contemporary and appeared to me to be inspired by the natural world (lots of leafy shapes and such). A lot of the pendents seemed to be detailed in such a way that gave the impression it was pressed silver and certainly hand made. The artwork on show was a fantastic range too. There were some 'fusion glass' pieces which appeared to be photographs detailed with a sort of embossed piece of glass over the top, bringing out details like traffic lights and such. They were particularly interesting. As well as that there were some amazingly simplistic and sometimes textured sunset scenes by Barker, some amusing and poignant pieces by Todd White, some beautiful oriental ink nude prints by Qu Lei Lei (which were only £20!) and my absolute favourite (and stupidly, I did not note the artist) a sunburstingly orange horizon scene with a sort of marbled gold leaf effect and central silhouetted tree. I found the art work varied, challenging, decorative and inspiring. The lady who owned/managed the gallery was polite and thankfully did not try to go in for the hard sell either, which was much appreciated. I can imagine it is frustrating for them to receive browser upon browser, but I am sure if I ever manage to save I will be visiting this place for a central piece! Well worth the visit.

I came here to pick up a few bits for my sketchbook after hearing about it from a friend who's…read morepretty arty. I can't say I found anything completely inspiring or unusual but the basics of the kit you need were there. Brushes, Pencils, Card, Crafty bits and bobs....etc. The shop is reasonably priced and does have some nice quality materials.

Headingley don't have many arts and craft focussed shops around, but tucked up a back road,…read moreDisdale's is a resource for the artier of Headingley's residents. It is a traditional arts and crafts shops, selling quality materials in the way of fine paint brushes, drawing pencils of many kinds, quality paper meant for certain tasks etc. As I say in many other of my reviews, I prefer a more creative way of finding imaginative materials in unexpected places, rather than conforming to these sorts of traditional (overpriced) shops, but for what it is, it is a great thing to have in Headingley, away from the busy pub ridden road.