Incredible art store. I was blown away by how well stocked the store is. I loved the top floor with…read morecool crafts and unique art gifts to purchase. The second floor had every art supplies I could dream of, and the bottom floor was an amazing selection of paper and canvas. Truly a great art store for all

Incredible place, but dangerous at the same time as you could easily spend a lot of money in here!…read more The first time I popped in was when I needed a few items for an event and I thought I'd gamble on Fred Aldous having the stuff I needed - they did! Anything you need for arts & craft or decorations they have it and with some good choice! I've now been in a few times when I need to pick up bits and bobs or essentials for work i.e. scissors etc. Loads of interesting present and gift ideas in here as well so if you're out and about birthday shopping or it's coming up to christmas - I'd say Fred Aldous is a great option with some similar style stuff to Oklahoma! Most of the stuff here is well priced and I've always been fairly surprised that my total wasn't higher when purchasing as I think the interior and style gives off an expensive vibe but really it's good value for money! A short simple review for a top NQ shop!

Let's get one thing straight first. I love stationery. I enjoy stationery I don't even need. If I…read morehave to do a lot of writing, I prefer tipped pens as opposed to ballpoint, in as vast a variety of colours as possible. Now, we all know we can get multipacks of these at the local supermarket or pound shop, but it just doesn't feel quite the same as purchasing something from the bevy of office supply loveliness that is Paperchase. One thing you'll always notice when standing outside this humongous, triple-floor branch in the centre of Manchester is not the Big Issue seller, although that might make you feel a little guilty for overspending on that eraser shaped like a flower or that Dalmatian print stapler. No, the biggest wow factor is the window display. They darn well make the most of it. And it's seasonal too, whether it's that phrase that strikes fear and depression into the hearts of children between the ages of five and sixteen and teachers everywhere, 'Back to School', or Mother's Day, Father's Day, Easter, Christmas, Valentine's Day... Paperchase will always via the medium of magical window dressing find a reason for you to buy stationery. I'd seriously recommend this branch over any of the weeny little concessions in Kendal's or Selfridges. You've got way more choice. But this isn't just a place for quirky little diaries, fluorescent pink post-its, pencils in every colour of the rainbow, stickers, iPod covers, damask wrapping paper, furry pencil cases and heart-shaped calculators. There's so much more. It has one of the biggest and best greeting card selections I've ever seen. There are gifts aplenty for the friend who has everything. There are home storage solutions. Pretty boxes. Lunchboxes. Tupperware. You can even buy pet supplies. Little random toys for stocking fillers. Toddle on up the stairs and find an entire floor dedicated to art supplies. There's even furniture, clocks, mirrors... I could go on. But I won't. Go see for yourself. I'm telling you, you'll walk in with the aim of buying a simple mobile phone cradle for your office desk and you'll come away with five different photo frames in five different shapes. You have been warned...

Now January has started it's only a matter of days before retailers swap their discounted Christmas…read morecards for Valentine's Day cards! One of the best places to go looking for cool cards and wrapping paper is Paperchase. They stock sweet, witty, playful and kitsch cards from a variety of designers and a brilliant array of notebooks, journals, address books, recipe cards, pens and stationary. This being their biggest store in the North West, there's also good quality paints, pastels, paper, card and brushes for artists upstairs. Before you get too carried away and fill your basket full of goodies - check out the prices as some of the Japanese papers and pastels are pretty steep.

Much less incognito now it has a cafe set up out front…read more Coffee strong and nice, served with ice water and a slice of lemon, nice twist, if you will. I'm loving the new trend of serving coffee with water in hot weather. Nice atmosphere and probably more for groups than a solo act tbh, can't moan though, lovely blend, will try a crepe or a quesadilla when I have not been filled by a home sweet home breakfast another day. The outdoor seating, although on Stevensons square is absolutely fine as it feels set back Enough from the street as to not feel congested... Also, the little vanilla biscuit spoon is a lovely touch. Will be back!

Incognito is exactly that; the number of times I have walked past and totally forgotten about its…read moreexistence is to be frank quite ridiculous. Once you step inside, you're a treasure trove the likes of Fred Aldous but with more focus on the gadgets and home decor than arts and crafts. Goodies here range from the practical - cards, retro rotary phones, beautifully decorated jewellery boxes - to the slightly silly - otter patterned tin, briefcase shaped cheese grater, skull light. (Who am I kidding, the cheese grater is amazing.) If you're struggling to find something for the person who has everything, this is a great place to start.

Fab graphic tee-shirts? Tick Cool design books? Tick…read moreIncredible photography and art books? Tick Huge style bibles? Tick Quirky hand-made badges and zines? Tick Ace cards, stationary and wrapping paper? Tick Thanks to Magma, I was able to buy lots of unique and arty Christmas presents in one go. Wait, I forgot to get something for myself! How about the new Yoshitomo Nara book?

I'm not much of a shopper hence why I've only just become aware of Magma's existence but I will…read moredefinitely be popping back! I was about 3 feet into the shop before I spotted a load of books I would like (guide to house plants, for e.g.!) but sadly I was not gift shopping for myself but my non-book-loving bf so he got an ice ball tray (which he loved).Looks like there's a v impressive magazine selection as well. Definitely a place to stop by if you're looking for a taste of the NQ.

WHSmith at Manchester Piccadilly is a pretty good branch, especially for a travel store, the prices…read moremight be really high, to the point I can't understand why as there are multiple rivals nearby selling many of their items or similar items for less, but they do have a pretty good selection if you're in a rush, ahead of getting a train. I do like the special events they seem to have on here, they sell Airpods and more recently they brought the Carabao Cup here ahead of 2020, giving supporters the chance to get a selfie with the trophy, this was a pretty cool experience to lift the trophy right before Manchester City defeated Aston Villa to retain the trophy for the third year in a row at Wembley back in 2020. (This was an experience offered by Carabao as part of their trophy store, but it is nice to see the store arranging experiences like that) They do also sell the IRN-BRU Energy drink range here, they are one of the few stores outside of Scotland to do so, I think it tastes terrible and at 2.5x the price of Carabao, it isn't worth it, but if you do love IRN-Bru, you'll probably like it. 4* - For a travel location, this branch of WHSmith is good, although I do prefer grabbing my drinks and travel stuff from the Co-Op just outside the station as the store looks a little better inside and is much cheaper.

The Observer? Tick Sunday Times? Tick…read moreTelegraph? Tick Mojo magazine? Tick Elle magazine? Tick Food and Travel? Out of stock. Thanks WH Smith for almost making my Sunday afternoon.

Everything in Celebrate! Is pink and ridiculously brightly coloured! It's a card shop, and way…read morebetter than Clinton's because the staff aren't rude, and the whole place isn't a dishevelled mess. They've got a good selection of greetings cards as well as lots of wrapping paper and present wrapping accessories. Choose Celebrate! Don't go to Clinton's.

Love Japan? Love 'I love Kokeshi'. I Love Kokeshi sells a…read morecute little selection of hand crafted and individually painted Kokeshi Dolls from Japan. Don't know what they are but want to have one? Their website justifies you're weird craving: "Traditionally given as gifts of love and friendship, each individual Kokeshi has been made with love and has a soul of its own. The designs range from the traditional to the creative amalgamating centuries of Japanese art and design and are appreciated as art objects, in which they adhere to a philosophy of simplicity and beauty. I Love Kokeishi also presents antique Kimoni Silks, Kokeshi art prints and cards." Situated on the first floor of Affleck's Palace, I Love Kokeshi sells a niche but wonderful array of Japanese Kokeshi Dolls, plus a selection of prints, cards and cute little bits and bobs. Great for gifts or a cheeky browse, I Love Kokeshi is a great place to while away half an hour and realize you want things you never knew existed before!