Englands Papers

Considering the quality and quantity of British designers and makers available nowadays, the…read moreselection of goods available at this imaginatively named shop strikes me as a bit halfhearted. It feels more like an upmarket tourist souvenir shop than a champion of arts and crafts. Apparently everything except the jewellery is made from recycled materials, so this is the common threat. The back of the shop offers a wide range of greeting cards, and I liked the mosaic mirrors, but overall the appeal was a bit too kitsch for my liking.

Another shop selling British local designers. It's quite touristy as it's very near London Bridge…read moreand the Fashion and Textile Museum. Most of the items are made from recycled material which is a plus. However there isn't much difference between this shop and the many similar local British designers selling eco friendly items.

Destefanis

5.0

It is a common thing in London to see shops in touristy areas charging exorbitant prices for tiny,…read morepoorly made tchotchkes. A post card for 4 pounds? Seriously? The owners are often overly agressive and generally unnerving to deal with. I personally avoid Oxford Street at all costs for this reason. Amongst the slew of garbage souvenir shops to be found in London, Destefanis is a gem. Relatively unassuming from the outside (where postcards are on sale for 1Pnd, 50P, and 5P (!!!) ), the shop is filled with reasonably priced trinkets, post cards, knicknacks, sweets, newspapers, and magazines. The shopkeepers are sweet people who are friendly and helpful, and very pleasant to interact with. The next time you need a tiny red bus to bring home to a friend at Christmas, Destefanis is your best bet.

the reel thing

5.0

what a great find this shop was, couldn't see it when driving into wick, but found it down beside…read morethe river and somerfields. this shop sell a wide range of items for the sewer and knitter, they have a large range of knitting wools and patterns, and materials and sewing patterns upstairs, down stairs fhey have a huge range of cross stitch kits or just plain aida and threads, if you have lost a button they have a huge range to choose from, also a lovley selection of hand made knitted baby items, such as blankets and bonnets. for a few days of the week there is usually a selevtion of baking or fudge to raise money for a local charity.

Oliver Bonas

4.0

I first came across this shop at Victoria Station on my way to a course and I loved it. I could…read morebuy everything in the shop and everything I brought was in the sale which was even better. I would love to work there part time

The whole Oliver Bonas thing confuses me slightly. When I first saw the shop many years ago, I…read moreassumed it was a one off and I liked it, now they seem to be popping up all over the place. They do sell some nice things, but I feel that the vast quantity of shops they are opening, down grades them slightly. That may just be me being picky, but part of their initial charm was that it felt special and unique, now I cannot help but feel it is just over produced. Saying that, I still wander in on occasions but rarely am I moved to make a purchase.

Intaglio Printmaker

5.0

Holy Moly.... This…read moreplace is an Aladdin's cave! From the magical courtyard in which it is situated, i felt excited just peeking in. Stopped off here after a glorious trip to Borough Market, to fix my self up with some Japanese wood cutting tools for my new printmaking course, and ended up spending a small fortune. Im a sucker for Japanese crafts...so this place made it a challenge for me to not buy everything in sight! Every inch is crammed with something wonderful. Soo...much...goodness! Im amazed i only left with some japanese paper, japanese vinyl (it's softer than lino to cut into...oh my), etching tools, black ink....and my bargain japanese wood cutting tools. I will find any excuse to return here.... The lady that served me had such an extensive knowledge of printmaking and the products they were selling, it was how customer service SHOULD be. Bravo! I challenge any art lover not to leave here without a bag full of goodies! Now i must stop staring at my purchases, and get on with my work!

Kew Frame

4.5

Kew Frame is a small picture framers situated near the Green in Kew. I recently took a print in to…read morebe framed and the service I got was excellent. I wanted my print to match another print which already had a frame. The owner of the shop helped my choose the frame which was the best match, and also recommended a surround for the print which would complement it. The result is great really professional. The price was also not bad for London I will go back again!

I love this shop. Always very helpful, and great advice on…read moreframes. The frame itself becomes a piece of art. I come all the way from Fulham to get my pictures frames, as I can't find any good frame shops locally. The owner of the shop is adorable and very professional. Roger, so sorry to read your comment, maybe worth giving it another try when manager comes back from maternity leave in about 4 months.

Forbidden Planet

3.6

(5 reviews)

I personally love going into this store but I am not sure if my budget will be too happy. This is…read morethe ultimate store for getting TV shows or comic book memorabilia or action figures. This specific store is much smaller than the one in Central London but they still have a lot of stuff in there to browse through. There is anything from DVD's to Books to Action Figures. The staff members are extremely helpful and enthusiastic about the merchandise they sell. I've got nothing but praise for this store as I feel like a little kid when I walk through those doors which can never be a good thing as I will be broke! The store has regular specials and you can get all your comic book needs from them, they have a HUGE selection. You can find the store quite easily by using West Croydon station or West Croydon bus station.

Very small local Forbidden Planet, not quite as good as the comic shop near the old church. There…read moreis a huge display window which promises much. Inside the selection of comics is quite small, the focus is on merchandise mainly, all the shows and films and spin offs from comics. There is a small collection of t-shirts which are quite good, but the best time to go is during the sales and scoop up bargains. Not worth a trip to Croydon for, this is ok is you happen to be in the area.

Masumin's Stores

4.0

Masumin's is legendary! Although not particularly well laid out -it's really small and there's…read morestuff everywhere so it can be a bit of a squeeze getting to the back - you can count on finding what you want. As well as the usual magazines, drinks and chocolate, Masumin's sells all sorts of other stuff from food to needles and thread (something I found there when searching Wandsworth frantically one sunday afternoon). The man who runs it is so friendly and will help you find what you want and offer you better or cheaper alternatives. The shop is well located on the way to Wandsworth train station and he also has a stall right outside the station that sells newspapers. I recommend it - I'd much rather spend my money here than in a chain shop or supermarket, and he gives much better service.

Very friendly and helpful people. They do a package drop off service so you can grab your Amazon or…read moreother store items from them and not have to wait around for the delivery dude again. They have Arizona iced tea and it's good.

Poundland

3.0

As the plane dipped, and we began to descend, I could feel the excitement building in the pit of my…read morestomach. We were almost there, the land of dreams, the land of plenty, the land where all things are equal. As we broke through the layer of clouds, the golden shine took my breath away, and I sat, buckle cutting into my sides, as I took it all in: the rows and rows of household goods, the keyrings, the cuddly toys, and all the chintzy junk in the world. I felt for the small round coin in my pocket and knew that here, if nowhere else, I could afford to shop. After years and years of searching, I had finally found it, hidden in the straits of Southside Shopping Centre: Poundland.

Magma

4.5