In spite being the sort of guy who has visited every one of the many outdoor chain stores on Deans…read moregate, I still have a lot of time for Campcraft. The premises are large enough to display a good selection of outdoor gear - two good-sized floors - with tents, backpacks and boots being on the upper floor. The staff are really friendly, the young sales assistant who served me especially so, pointing out cool gear at random such as a super-lightweight pack. And I was treated to a demonstration of the latest LED headlight which varies its intensity according to lighting conditions - perhaps a wee bit more James Bond than I need, but still it was fun to see! I had been looking for a pair of adventure sandals to replace my worn-out pair, and had no problems at all with paying £75 for a Merrell pair featuring super-grippy natural rubber soles. Somehow, the 'just enough' stock on display helped me focus on making a buying decision which had eluded me in larger outdoor stores. I also appreciated the sales guy's opinion that I needed the larger size. Having since done a few hikes wearing the sandals I am very happy with the fit. For most Bolton locals, I would say Campcraft offers you all you really need. Just step through the door and tell the staff you need a tent, sleeping bag, campstove, boots, whatever and I am sure they will put you right. Although I don't do any extreme outdoor sports, I'm still a total outdoor gear junkie. But there is definitely a place for Campcraft's expertise alongside the Deansgate outdoor chains and out-of-town tent display warehouse places which I also enjoy. Although some of the Campcraft gear is cutting edge, this is still the kind of place I can imagine getting on first name terms with the staff and rocking up to ask 'What's new?' and be treated to a demo of the latest gizmos. Or for staff to remember what level I am at with outdoor pursuits or previous conversations and come up with suggestions tailored to my needs. Plus, we got talking about food, and it turns out that the owner of this place also owns Thyme deli and cookshop in Horwich which the sales assistant thought I might like. Where can you get that sort of village feeling these days? Exactly - so let's treasure it!

Great staff, always hospitable. Worth a visit. Have everything from the treats you need for the…read moreoutdoor enthusiast at Christmas and the blow out camping trips of the decade. Amazing

My friend was struggling to put her wheel back on after taking it off to transport it to my house…read more We went down to Bill Nickson having been there before and found them extremely helpful . No hesitation to help on this occasion either and sorted us out with the spacer ( that should have been supplied when she bought the bike ) not purchased from them may add and she was back up and ready to ride . Fast , friendly and no charge. So thanks again to staff in there. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend. Thank you

Just bought a second hand bike off Facebook. They were more than happy to help. The bike was…read moreoriginally bought from their shop. I told them that I was new to cycling and they helped with everything. Didn't over sell me on anything and when I didn't understand how to switch my hub, they just told me to come back and do it for me. I didn't spend a lot but I'll definitely not go anywhere else. Find somewhere good that's local. Never go anywhere else!! Brilliant staff and service.

Fantastic selection of natural fiber and synthetic rope, cord, and also twine. I searched for a…read morespecific product online and after looking at about 10 different rope sites, this one had the best prices. Also, super fast service. I placed an order on a Monday and it arrived on Wednesday. Orders are only taken online, not over the phone, by the way. I had a bit of trouble placing my order online and called for help so that's how I know they don't do phone orders. If one browser doesn't seem to want to work, just try another (I had to switch from Chrome to Firefox and then the site started to recognize I had items in my shopping cart.) Happy shopping!

Fantastic customer service, very helpful and had a genuine interest in their customers needs, sorry…read moreI do not remember our sales persons name but she was a real asset to the store and made us feel very welcome, giving first class customer service, something I am finding a rarity in today's retail environment.

This shop is great, the staff were absolutely lovely and I spoilt myself rotten on this trip…read more OK, confession time I know someone that works here so got 50% off but the staff were still lovely even before they realisded I knew someone :) Most of the clothes are just lovely and I am very happy with my purchases. At half price they are just in my price range so if you have expensive taste go visit this shop.

Fantastic service…read more Ordered new awning poles for my Pennine Sterling 525 yesterday. They arrived this afternoon. Great work Pennine :)

I felt compelled to write a review about this store as I rarely experience such pleasure from a…read morechain store as I have this week with Beaverbrooks at the Trafford Centre. We decided to go to the TC for a meal and a little celebration of a personal change of my circumstance. On our way into the food area of the TC we walked past Beaverbrooks and my other half saw the Ice Watch display in the window. I had intended to get her a little something and she said she loved them and had seen them in the city and often stopped at them so I thought here's the perfect thing. So we went in the store to have a closer look. It may just be me, but I often feel silly asking to look at things like that in a store where most items cost in their thousands, as I always think the staff wont be bothered as they wont earn much commission. However this was for my lady so I ignored my hangups and I am very glad I did. I found out after the purchase that the staff are not on commission, as a lady sincerely wished she was as she sold three luxury watches to a Doctor the day before worth £18K haha. What impressed me the most about the experience was the way we were treated even though an Ice Watch was only £75. We still got the same treatment as anyone who was spending thousands and I am sure the experience was made all the better by the excellent sales person, Assad. A lovely gentleman who never spoke like, or appeared to be a 'salesman' in any sense of the term. He offered us a seat and went to get the watch and even brought it to us on one of those leather padded trays with the leather cover, as if he was carrying a £20K Omega or something. Like many people, it's always the little things that matter to me and this one simple thing stood out a lot. We even bought a warranty for the watch which is something I don't always do, but it was explained so clearly about what we were and were not entitled to, and at no way did Assad show any signs of pressurisation which is such a rarity these days. Having worked for Comet in my past, I know all to well about the pressure forced on staff to sell warranties, often the sale of a warranty is more important that the product itself, regardless of price but this was not the case. Even if it was behind closed doors, it didn't seem that way to us and that's whats important. So, we purchased the watch and left after a very pleasurable experience. An experience which then benefited them as much as us, as it made me return the next day and purchase a watch for myself. I noted the treatment was just as it was the day before and of course wanted to deal with only Assad. After choosing my watch and drooling over the packaging, I was measured for the link removal on my strap and offered a drink while I waited. I opted for some water but was then offered a selection of juices to go with the water. This is another thing that impressed me no end. I am sick and tired of establishments who do offer refreshments to people, only having a choice of tea and coffee. I can't stand either of those, so i am often left to pay for any form of refreshment but here Beaverbrooks shon once more. So all in all, my experience with Beaverbrooks has been the best service and shopping experience I have ever had with a chain store. Treated like an individual who mattered, catered for by offering drinks for a wider range than just T&C, and most of all on the initial visit - being treated like a big spender when only spending £95 on an Ice Watch and warranty. At no point has it gone un noticed that this was mostly due to Assad, and as someone who writes more complaint letters than I care to mention then I am pleased to say that I will also be writing to the Manager of this branch about how impressed I was at their service. I certainly want the Manager to know that Assad should get a special mention about out experience and from making me a prospective life long customer of this store providing their service stays the same, and hopefully Assad remains there for a long time to come. Absolutely superb.

I just wanted to write and say that your excellent sale assistant Assad made buying our wedding…read morerings this weekend a very pleasurable experience! He was attentive and so helpful, very knowledgable and extremely patient! We spent over two hours in store with him pondering different rings, he knew everything about the diamonds and explained all about the different options available. He gave us a gift aswell which was so unexpected and which he then spent a further half hour helping me choose one! I never write reviews or anything but I was really impressed and grateful to him and it was certainly the best customer service I have ever experienced. Thankyou so much!

Sitting in one of the railway arches on Whitworth Street, Harry Hall's Cycles is a cycle shop for…read moreserious cyclists. It's well set out and sells mountain and road bikes as well as loads of accessories. I'm a bit of a cycling novice, but I recently acquired quite a good road bike and my old pump didn't seem to fit the valves on the new bike's tyres. I popped into the shop and feeling like a complete idiot, explained that I had no idea how to pump up the tyres on my new bike. The chap serving me was really polite despite my clear cycling ignorance, and explained the technicalities of the valves and what pump I needed to buy. He presented me with a few options of what I should get and I've now got something perfect for the job that's also really light and fits snugly on my bike. The pump was quite expensive, and this typifies the cost of most of the cycling gear in the shop, which includes a good range of pumps, tyres, helmets and accessories as well as lots of different cycle clothing. However, it's all quality stuff and the staff know exactly what they're talking about. Though you would probably find cheaper gear at somewhere like Halfords, its worth going to Harry Hall's to know that you'll walk away with some kit that will be right for you, work properly and last a long time.

The railway arches of Whitworth Street West serve as a magnet for cool stuff, housing Green Room…read morealt: performance space, an achingly cool interior design showroom, Cocotoo Italian restaurant (?) and the cool effect spreads across the road to froyo café Frurt and round the corner to The Engine Room Café in Cambridge Street and even the front of restaurants in Chester Street. Plus, access the canal via any of a number of entry points on the same side as Frurt to view a timeline of the late Haçienda Club. (The canal path is a fantastic traffic-free route to Castlefield, Piccadilly and Stockport). Harry Hall Cycles is a good general purpose cycle shop, but I also commend them for showcasing some niche bikes. The current window display is mainly given over to the current trend for stripped down fixed gear or single speed bikes - fewer moving parts means less to go wrong and also lighter. I was also amused to read a poster publicising a Brompton bike race to be staged by that leading manufacturer of folding bikes - I've not seen that poster elsewhere in Manchester, so well done HH for showcasing that. (One cool thing about Brompton bikes for a cycle shop is how small they fold up, allowing many more Bromptons to be stored per sq. metre than regular bikes!) Downstairs is also home to road bikes, cyclo-cross bikes and the usual bike accessories. Upstairs features mountain bikes, style/girly bikes and some retro stuff including a modern take on a butchers bike. I think you have to pay them a visit and test ride a bike or two to decide if Harry Hall is the bike shop for you, but I enjoy the laid-back atmosphere and friendly staff who are generally happy to talk. I'll end by sharing a tip given to me by one of the guys here, which is to dismount and push your bike up over kerbs and such - apparently mounting kerbs wrecks the wheel bearings, and was something he would never do with any of his bikes. He had me at 'bikes' :-) I find something precious about city centre cycle shops - they are there in the midst of the polluting traffic offering a highly-effective, low-tech transport solution. The young and able-bodied car drivers amongst us, let's get on our bikes! And if you are an apartment dweller unsure how you would store your bike, all the more reason to get along to Harry Hall as they have a variety of storage solutions from wall hooks to floor-to-ceiling bike stands to store your speed machine up out of the way.