Haynes Market seems like the perfect place to get lost in for a few hours. We found it by accident…read morewalking down this small road off Westow Road. It is like a whole new world of the past when you walk through the narrow doorway. A word of advice, do not take small children in there as they do not like people picking up their goods as most of it is antiques. They've got something for everyone in there, even if you do not like antiques. I saw a bunch of comics from my youth, a few action figures, tonnes of clothes, books and memorabilia scattered all over the place. The Haynes Market is a maze but a fun one. There is stairs from the first floor to the ground floor where you will discover a few more stalls to browse from. My friends got to wrapped up in the market that we spend ages in there looking at things, it's just amazing. Haynes Market is what a market in London should be like!

I've walked past this market so many times but never went inside…read more I don't think many people no that it is there as it's down a side street and there isn't much signs to direct people there. I finally went inside and wasn't disappointed there is so much to choose from the staff are very friendly and I brought quite a few coins and stamps as these are the things I collect and am interested in. Will defiantly be returning in the future.

With outsides the color of Robin's egg's blue and a net of twinkling lights gracing the window…read moredisplay, I felt drawn to Twice the Siren. Or maybe the it was that there were actual Sirens hiding somewhere and luring my with their eerie song. As my ship crashed to glistening fragment upon their doorstep, I took the fatal plunge and entered. Inside, the decor was just as pleasing as outside, but the merchandise was just normal. The nice kind of normal, but the kind of thing you can find many other places throughout the city. The more interesting items were Japanese wallets and such that always tend to be cute, yet not Hello Kitty overwhelming. It was 'moderately' priced, and I was 'moderately' enthused.

Twice the Siren sell clothes and little knick knacks. I don't really like the clothes in all honest…read morebut I'd say there are nice little gift ideas. From the outside, this place looks pretty normal but it's cosy and small inside, a nice little gift shop haven. Despite the sweet little gift ideas, I'm not sure I can give this place a superb review, it's OK but nothing superb and there's better things around the area to look at...

This place is a real stumble upon find! A bizzare combination of cobblers, engravers and fantasy…read moregift store. Cobbles is also home to the Gilt Edged Goblin Company which sells all manner of fairy trinkets and gargoyles for the home: a real Aladdin's Cave. The owners are incredibly helpful and professional and always happy to assist in choosing gifts.

Nicholas & Steele are a wonderful new addition to Durham Road - a classic style shop-front which…read morehouses a treasure-trove of vintage treats within. What caught my eye on passing by one evening was a fantastic Colclough's 'Cottage & Stream' china tea-cup and saucer; I'm a huge fan of this particular Colclough vintage china range as I have many happy memories of having afternoon tea with my beloved Granna when I was a little girl! I was warmly greeted by Holly and Steven, the owners of Nicholas & Steele and offered a cup of tea what a lovely way to shop and do business! Of course, the tea was made in a gorgeous 1930's Crinoline Lady teapot (periwinkle blue?) and served up in vintage bone china tea-cups and saucers. Love it, love it, love it this is customer service at it's best, methinks! Holly and Steven are rightly proud of their business which, as I found out, had only opened on Saturday the day when I had spied their vintage treasures. The amount of love and attention they have poured into every single detail of their business is evident for all to see; they are undeniably very talented and offer a scrumptious range of products. The charming dressers are all hand-painted by them and I've already picked the one I wish to see in my home! At the back of the shop I spied an incredible chest of drawers painted in a striking union-jack flag effect, simply stunning. The union jack flag was similarly echoed on the front of the shop's counter, in pastel shades to complement the vintage treasures for sale. Nicholas & Steele not only sell vintage tea-sets and other assorted vintage afternoon tea treasures (cupcake stands etc.), but they also have an amazing array of vintage kitchenware (including cutesy jelly moulds) and stunning antique embroidered and/or lace tablecloths and table mats; Holly is very creative and also hand-makes bunting from vintage table linen that are no longer usable and other antique materials she has picked up along the way. There is also an assortment of trinkets and jewellery so a perfect place to shop for unusual gifts too. I do like the idea of a one-stop shop ! Holly is also an artist and has plans for offering creative workshops over the coming months, so do pop by and say hello to them in Durham Road, SW20. I am sure you will be just as tickled pink by the shop and it's delightful owners as I am. NB Photographs are courtesy of Holly & Steven. (I originally wrote this review for my Afternoon Tea Tweecup blog)

What an addition this place is to the already wondrous bazaar that is the Uxbridge Road…read more It is essentially two rooms with wall to wall jewellery and accessories for £1-£5. Wall to wall, my dear readers. Like a cheap jewellery gallery. And the stuff is actually quite nice, you know, fashionable and interesting as well as the more ethnicy stuff. Most of the things here you could find in a simlar guise in Accesorize for about 20 times the price. They also sell shoes for a whopping fiver a pair. A huge range of beaded slippers (with reinforced soles so they won't fall apart within minutes) and quite a few fancy going out heels. For only five pounds a pair! That's insane! Gloriously insane! It really is pound crazy. Sometimes I will even dress up for a night out and then buy my jewellery on the way to the tube station so I can get an excellent match.

Disgraceful shop. Unlike Poundland, this place suggests by its name [ which includes a tiny + sign…read morethat the staff point to if you complain that the name of the shop is misleading ] that it sells items for a pound. What a scam.

Located in historic Notting Hill, Portobello Road, this is one the coolest antique souvenir stores…read morewe discovered on our trip to London. I bought a few items that look great in my office.

Though this shop might feel a little small, it has items in every nook and cranny, so it's a little…read morebit like a treasure shop. When there in early June, it has everything from new mugs to vintage glass bottles to old road signs to bigger trunks and furniture-like items. For printing, it seemed to be mid-range. Some of the vintage bottles were in the ballpark of £10-12, mid-sized trunks and other vintage items were £50-100 (depending on what it was), while some more noteworthy items were several hundred pounds. I definitely recommend taking a look if you like vintage items since its a bit of a treasure trove.

The Hands down, surefire, absolute, undoubtedly, without question best thing about this place was…read morethat one of the sales staff matched the wallpaper. Her shirt bore the exact same color and pattern and part of the decor. It was incredible. Besides this delight, I have little feeling for the Blue Door - it failed to catch my eye, make me swoon, whisper sweet nothings into my ear and so forth. This place sells a lot of slightly upper end, touristy and non-touristy dishwear. If you're feeling like your tea set is a bit boring, you might find something here to jazz it up. It won't be cheap, but it won't put you out an arm and a leg either. The mugs of touristy type are different than those you see in every souvenir shop, but they're still just mugs with bobbies and Big Bens. Towards the back there are some purses, pillows and gift items. My friend bought some London-y mugs for her grandmas and we skit-skedaddled out of there.

I just came back to Toronto yesterday from a 10-day Europe trip in London, UK and different parts…read moreof France. My husband was attending a conference near the Imperial College so I was tagging along and sightseeing on my own in the city. It was my first time in London, UK. We stayed at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Vanderbilt hotel, a fantastic hotel by the way. Most importantly, the WIFI service was swift with no hiccups. Since it's right across the Tube station Gloucester, it was relatively easy for me to get around. I was in London for a total of 3 days. I spent the first two days covering the majors attractions and shops including the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum (my favourite), the Twin Towers, the Tower of London, the Westminster Abbey, the Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden, Harrods ... I'm sure you know the rest. I reserved my last day in London for more souvenir shopping. Before the visit, I aimed to get a couple of English fine china tea sets, one for my mother, and one for myself. Both of us are big fans of red teas. We are not coffee drinkers, so breakfast tea in the morning has been a staple for us. As a first time visitor in London, I found it difficult to find affordable English china tea sets with traditional prints. There were the overpriced ones but very pretty royal collection chinaware at the official boutique near the Buckingham Palace Gate. But I think most tourists like me would unlikely be willing to drop a few hundreds British pounds on a teapot. I started googling in the hotel for places nearby that sell affordable chinaware. I came across the Blue Door in Notting Hill. I decided to bid on the Blue Door for my last chance to get the tea sets that I desired with the limited time that I had. The store did not disappoint and I was so glad that I found it. Most items in the store were reasonably priced. I was attracted to Notting Hill not just because of the store, but also the large number of antique shops and the flea market there. The location was also very convenient. Hop onto the Tube and get off at the Notting Hill Gate station and you'll find your way. The staff at the store was super helpful. The lady who helped me package my teapots took great care of the merchandises. Since I bought two sets of teapots, cups and saucers, one with a traditional red & pink rose pattern, the other one with classic blue floral prints, she also tossed in a English telephone booth magnet for me. I regret that I did not get the silver plated toast holders. They were used in the hotel for serving toasts in the hotel which I thought was very British. You don't see them very often in North America so they were new to me. If you are tired of visiting landmarks, museums and monuments, give the Blue Door in Notting Hill a try. I'm sure you'll find something you like there. It definitely satisfied my chinaware needs.

Once again I'm writing about another cupboard-shop in the Antiques Arcade on Camden Passage. You…read morewill find yourself staring at the window display for some time as there is a variety of different objects in here, such as a vintage crocodile skin bag. You can also find accessories for your home, such as Orivit vases made in Germany between 1895 and 1905. If you want to be sure that they are real, have a look on the internet at the Orivit website and it will tell you what to look for.