Parkway Shopping Centre is a great little shopping centre if you know what's there. I mean, ok,…read moreit's not as good as a main town centre, but it does have a lot to offer. It's all indoors for one thing, so no problems with wind and rain! They have free parking, in a number of car parks dotted at different points around the outside of the centre - but they are invariably full! I tend to park in the Tesco car park at the far end, as it seems to have a bit more space than the others. At one end we have the Rainbow Leisure Centre, which is great for swimming, badminton, etc. At the other end we have a massive new Tesco, split over two floors. In between there are loads of other shops, like Priceless Shoes, Iceland, Superdrug, a pet shop (sorry the name escapes me for the moment), a card shop, a florist, a Chinese restaurant/takeaway, a chemist, a bakers, a post office, a couple of good general shops - Home Bargains, and Instore, which sell all kinds of things like kitchenware, bedding household items, and toys, all at bargain prices. Also Peacocks, the clothing store. Outside, there are a few extras, but I don't tend to go outside much! There's a pizza takeaway place, there's a branch of Punch Robson solicitor's, and there's a Dentist's surgery. I used to think this place was really grotty - but now I've got over that and just see it as a great place to grab a bargain!

Usually full of people as there is a large tesco extra attached to it. It's also right next to a…read moresecondary school and sixthform so during the week it's flooded with teens eating. There's 3 carparks all free and very big, though beware the Tesco carpark, it's a nightmare to get in and out, it has sharp corners and people often reverse out without looking. At one end is the rainbow leisure centre. There's also Whites Cafe at this end. Then there's Home Bargains, Greggs, instore, in shops, a shoe shop, some card shops, a pet shop a fruit stall, few second hand shops and then the Tesco. Theres a flower stand near the sports centre that has nice flowers. I would recommend checking out the inshops as it's quite cheap and you can find quite a few bargains in here - there's also a framing service here that's quick. There are a few security guards as well about. Oh and post office but the queues there get really long. I always find I need to keep alert here, there are some annoying youths hanging about and quite a lot of pushchairs and trolleys, but it's a good convenience place.

Yorkshire Trading is a discount department store that sells everything from food basics to…read moregardening stuff. It seems to get untidy quite easily but this seems to happen in all YTC shops! They have great prices on seasonal stuff and they usually have lots of kids toys for £1. The staff are fairly helpful and there's always someone around because they always seem to be re-stocking/re-arranging shelves when I'm there!

Very well established store in the heart of the quaint market town Stokesley. Shopping is Stokelsey…read moreis very different to central Middlesbrough. Apart from when the local comprehensive school opens its doors and the children tip out fro their chips and sausage rolls for a healty lunch, you will usually find a quiet sedate shopping town. Boyes is placed somewhat in the centre of the high street and is built on 2 levels. Shop here for your bargain toiletries and lower priced sweets. There will be a good selection of toys and childrens clothing downstairs along with DIY and homewears. Upstairs you will find crafting items, materials and wool for the hobby enthusiast. Ladies clothes can be found amongst bedding, tablecloths and shower cutains to name but a few. If you are in the area Boyes could be the place for your bargains!

This branch of Marks and Spencer is located on Teesside Retail Park. It's on the right hand side as…read moreyou enter the main square, near Zavvi. This is quite a large branch, set out over two floors. Downstairs they have a dedicated food section, then moving left you come to the women's clothing. They have shoes, lingerie, and lots of lovely fashion. The only one I actually notice is Per Una, so truth be told, I don't know if they stock other brands, as I've only noticed the Per Una. They have some really nice items. Most of it is out of my price range, but I have been lucky there when they've had end of season sales one. The service is excellent. The fitting rooms are really quite spacious and luxurious, compared to what I'm used to in Asda, for example! The staff are friendly and helpful. Upstairs, they have men's clothing, and a gift section, and homewares. Last time I was in, I noticed they also had a television section upstairs! This was new to me, but it was a smart little section, not a lot of choice, but the service, again, was excellent. The lady took time out to talk me through some of the products, and was really helpful. About twenty years ago I thought Marks and Spencer was really posh, and the epitome of quality and good service. Then it sort of went downhill, but I think they're climbing back up now.

This is a handy, decent sized Marks and Spencers store which is is part of Teesside Retail Park…read more Because of this there is plenty of car parking outside and it is open later than your average store. I am not sure of the exact hours but I think around 8pm on an average night. As well as the usual ranges of fashion, homeware, food etc there is a cafe on the first floor and a currency exchange which is handy as M&S often have good rates. Personally I think that M&S have become more competitive in recent years and I am now shopping her more and more.

This is absolutely my favourite shop in the Parkway Shopping Centre! It's located in the end by the…read moreRainbow Leisure Centre, next to Peacocks. This shop, as the name suggests, sells bargains - it really does! I have seen loads of toys there, selling for much less than you can get them elsewhere. They also sell gifts like make up bags and toiletry sets, and household products like cleaning fluids, washing up liquid, etc. They have a nice range of cheap stationery items like sellotape dispensers, and drawing pads, pencils, glitter glues etc. It's a brilliant place to stock up with things to entertain the kids! They also sell household items like bedding, kitchenware, laundry baskets etc. And have a pretty good range of food items like crisps, biscuits, coffee etc. Often these are a little closer to their sell by dates than you may find in the big supermarkets, but nevertheless they are still within the sell by dates, and significantly cheaper! This is a brilliant shop, overall. There is one problem, however - the check outs! There is always a queue, and there's always a problem if something doesn't have a price sticker on it. Any queries have to be referred to a manager, so you're left standing there while they call one over. Other than that, it's a great shop, and worth the inconvenience of the check out queues in order to grab a bargain!

For those of us who like a bargain this store is fantastic! It is conveniently located in the…read moreParkway Centre with lots of parking outside. Home Bargains sells toiletries, some food stuff, a small range of drinks, household items, toys, greeting cards and arts and crafts bits and bobs. It is the kind of store where you nip in for some shampoo and lesve with 3 carrier bags full! One tip is that if you see something that is a total bargain then stock up because chances are they will probably sell out quickly and they don't always stock the same things.

Surprisingly enough, this is my children's favourite shop. I can't imagine why!!! It's located on…read moreTeesside Retail Park and has free parking outside. It does open late, which I often find is the best time to shop there as it's quieter During the day it's an absolute nightmare - I always regret taking the children in because it's so hard to get them out again! This store does carry a pretty large stock range, all kinds of toys and games, including computer games and consoles. They also have a section called Babies R Us which is given over to baby equipment (I know, quelle suprise!) like cots and car seats, baby clothes, nappies etc. I do like Toys R Us, they have loads of stuff to choose from. On the downside, however, it's almost impossible to find a staff member out on the shop floor (except for in the computer games section) if you need help. Also, the queues for the check outs seem to take ages.

Toys r us id a convenient toy shop located onTeeside Park retial park. There is a lot of free…read moreparking. Essentially a warehouse filled with a huge selection of toys and baby stuff. Prices are keen and there are always a lot of special offers and reductions, meaning that overall products offer good value for money. However, its happened to me a couple of times that I've been charged more at the till than the price shown, or I've been chaged for an item on a buy 2 get 1 free offer. Staff are generally in short supply and unhelpful.

Very Well stocked garden centre which has started from a very small family business and grown and…read moregrown over the years. Primarily Arcadia was well known for its many kinds of Fushias but after much development it has deviated into other departments including leisure wear. Access to the site is very easy as you drive out of Middlesbrough towards Stokesley. Parking is good, but as you enter the site if you find walking difficult and you want to visit the afe make sure you park near as it can be a long walk. The cafe is situated in its own building away from the plants. There is also a seperate building for Ski /leisure wear and Garden furniture. A selection of conservatories are ready for viewing. The plant stock is fabulous although I dont feel they are particularly cheap. They are always well watered and cared for.The centre has lots of water features to view, and slabs and gravel for those finishing touches.A garden design servie is available