Call me crazy - you wouldn't be the first - but I tend to go a little mad when I walk into shops…read morewhere cute / quirky things that I can add or turn into other cute / quirky things can be found. So, Chung Kee Ho, with it's rows of funky buttons / beads is right up my alley. I got tiny little pencils, butterflies, soccer balls, elephants and slightly more sensible white crystally ones. There were also badges galore - flags and patches, princesses and cats, all bases covered. I also picked up a whole roll of simple lace for HKD20 and another of narrow elastic for the same price - did I mention that when visiting SSP you should bring your wheelie shopping trolly or bag? Well I have now.

If you can't find the button you want for whatever job you need it for here, well then quite…read morefrankly, you just didn't look hard enough! I came in with a specific project in mind - thank God or I would have gone a bit button crazy and stocked up for life - and still came away with three different sets. A girls got to have options you know. The stock is cunningly displayed on panels which slid back to reveal the actual 'stock' on slaving units behind. The look is clean and far less cluttered than in many of the neighbouring stores and it makes it much easier to find what one is looking for. The staff were helpful and patient. When I changed my mind about a particular button after deciding it didn't go with my fabric sample, that was no problem, even though Michelle had just spent about 5 minutes trying to find the thing. As I said - three different sets to do the same job, so two sets will ultimately be redundant, but I'm sure I'll find a use for them in the next couple of years or so.

Sham Shui Po is the sort of place sartorial dreams are made of. Literally, these streets sell…read moreeverything from fabric to fasteners and trims, all in every hue design and material imaginable. This is where clothing manufacturers come and choose the actual stuff that make their designs a reality. Fortunately, you can also but 'retail' ie, not bulk, and make your own design dreams come true. In my particular case, I want a calf length, cream leather coat.  I took along the black woollen coat I intend to model said garment on and headed off in search of the leather to make it happen. Fortunately, I found Yuen Kee Leather Goods. The staff were a bit surprised by the scale of my project, but recommended a tailor and even called in advance to make sure it was all doable and that they we selling me the right amount of leather (at least I assume that's what they were talking about). That's one of the problems with shopping in Shan Shui Po generally, many of the vendors - especially the street stalls- don't really 'do' English, so you are relying on holding up fingers to indicate yard length. Needless to say, with the complexity of this particular project I was very happy to encounter good spoken English. Highly ironic as I am having real trouble with the shop's business card .....

One of the few shops in Sham Shui Po that I know (granted, that does limit the sample size), that…read morespecialise in 'craft' as opposed to wholesale designer supplies. Here you can find ribbons, trimmings and embellishments, but also gift boxes and embroidery hoops. Cross stich patterns and fake flowers. I walked out with almost 200 yards of ribbon for a little (a very little) over HKD50 - bargain! Like all shops in SSP, Tak Cheung Co obviously understands the value of a good business card - you WILL need help to find the same store twice. But theirs is one of the most helpful I've collected on many visits to the area. In fact, it's the one I present to taxi drivers whenever I go to SSP, just so I know where I am when I start and can orientate myself for the rest of the expedition, kind of. Of course one then has to pop in to the store to see what's on offer ... It would be rude not to.