Once upon a time, my hungry little belly beckoned me to Tescos Western Avenue. What a mistake that…read morewas. Nothing but aggression, anger and violence was demonstrated to me and my lady friend by the employees. My concerns do not lie amongst the fact I was denied my RedBull, but that I feel as though some homophobia and ageism occurred against me and my partner (both females, 17). While paying for my sugar-free White Peach Redbull, as I have every right to do so, an ID was provided by myself and I was still denied my drink. I am outraged that in the 21st century people can be so ignorant.

The food at tesco is okay... could be better. The sushi's very bland but the coconuts there are…read moredelicious. The service is mid too with the workers being very moody, (fair enough, they're at work) and the cashiers sometimes being too fast and aggresive. The ambiance is pretty good to be fair with decent music playing and the whole thing kinda feels like a chill vibe.

As a student I went to many charity shops on the look out for books for my obsession with reading…read more The shop has a lot of interesting second hand stuff and I would have a browse to see if there was a bargain. Unfortunately it's hit or miss whether you'll find something you want, or you may go in and end up getting something you rather didn't buy. Either way it for a good cause so has more intrinsic value when you buy from here.

This is by far the best charity shop in Cardiff. The friendly staff welcome you into their…read moreAladdin's cave of goodies and gifts. The walls tower with books and games, and outfits and handbags hang from the ceiling. There is always something new and interesting to find... and if you can't find it? You feel relaxed enough to ask. And gather round, lend me you ears if you want to hear the best part. I will only say it once as it is a secret I keep close to my heart.... If you ask nicely and use the code word "upstairs" there lies a hidden room with all the magical treasures a young fancy-dresser or vintage queen could ask for. Words cannot describe how you have not, and never will, truly experience my love for Cardiff without this adventure. Reasonable Prices Good Cause My Best Buy: a vintage badminton racket for £3. Top that... I dare you!

This is a good sized Oxfam Shop, and just happens to be my favourite charity shop in the area. I…read moreregularly shop at charity shops for two very good reasons. These are that I like to support the cause, and I also like finding the weird and wonderful things that you often find there! Plus, I'm passionate about books... If I were to buy all of my books new, I would be bankrupt in no time! This branch of Oxfam, is pretty well stocked on all fronts! As with all the other Oxfam shops, it is well manned, and professionally put together. I like the fact that they stock new fair trade items as well as the secondhand goods, and it has often proven to be a lifesaver where the coffee is concerned! I have to admit to preferring the Pdsa for books, as they always have a good selection and the prices are half what they charge at Oxfam. Nevertheless, I buy a fair amount f books from here, and I'm grateful that they put them in alphabetical order! (Unlike the Pdsa).

Went to Luxor with my best friend, staff amazing with supporting you with what will suit you,…read moreclothes for lots of occasions, we bought some amazing clothes, we are very happy with all we bought. Staff very helpful and kind as usual we are looking forward to our next visit to the store. Thank you Heather and Kavian we love all the new stock keep up the good work making us look lovely at our events. Thank you Lucie and Ceri

Luxor is managed by a very knowledgeable woman called Heather. She seems to know everything! And I…read moredon't mean just fashion! She also knows everything there is to be known about the other shops on the Wellfield Road. This area is nothing if not a tight knit community! She also knows a thing or two about sartorial taste, branding, and what works well in this part of town. There are clear aspirations to the business that she runs. It is targeted to the 16 to 45 age range and offers unique clothes at affordable prices. There is nothing smug about Heather, but there is a calm confidence born of the understanding that she occupies a niche in the market that has allowed this Persian owned business to fair quite well throughout the recession. The fact that the owner is Persian is no small influence in the success of the shop as well. Not only are the Iranians world-renowned for their sophisticated taste, but this also means that he has access to clothing manufacturers that no-one else knows about. It's perfect recipe for success! Original, intelligently designed, well made clothing, stocked at reasonable prices, with no repeat stock, keeping the look of the place really fresh and eminently enticing!

I'm sure that the name of this business has more to do with clothing fastenings than it does the…read morelegal intoxicant that was broadly used, particularly in gay nightclubs, across the UK back in the 80's! Ah, the heady smell of Amyl Nitrate! Nasty! There's something I'm less sure about... Does Beverley, the owner, know about this other meaning? I guess not, but I can imagine that she'd find it amusing, like myself. Beverley Soar is as laid back as any of the business owners on Pontcanna Street., and she's got a sense of humour. When I called in recently she was inspecting the damage done to the huge plate glass window that fronts the shop. The phantom tagger had paid her, (and everyone else down the street), a visit, leaving their tag, or signature mark, etched in the glass. The damage to all was going to cost the insurers a small fortune. Beverley was taking it in her stride, and seemed surprisingly up-beat, considering the disruption and mess that the repair would cause. She owns a particularly beautiful shop with some pretty expensive stock.... clothes by Grea, Annette Gortz, Hebbeding, Indies, Krines, Ischiko, Sonja Marohn and Oska... and I haven't met a tradesman yet that doesn't move everything so that you can't find it, and leave dusty footprints in the carpet! I guess she just reconciles herself with the knowledge that if it needs to be done, it needs to be done, and that's that! I like Beverley as much as I like her shop. The street wouldn't be the same without them both. With customers ranging from their mid thirties, up into their nineties, (her oldest customer is a very well dressed 96 year old, who has lost none of her sophistication and sartorial taste with the passage of time), Poppers is responsible for some of the best dressed women in Cardiff!

I ventured into poppers rather hesitantly as I thought the prices would be way out of my league!…read moreAlthough not exactly cheap, the prices weren't to bad, I saw a stunning black dress for £125 (it could have been worse)! Poppers is probably more suitable for 45+ (I won't be falling into that category for a long while yet), but it did have some very stylish numbers and on the sales rack I spotted a rather nice urban style top reduced to £20 (not bad)! Poppers also stocks a small range of jewellery and bags but at £54 for a necklace, it certainly isn't cheap!

I was meandering down Pontcanna Street, one of my favourite little areas of Cardiff, the other day,…read morewith time to browse and soak up the ambiance... a rare treat these days... I love its chilled out vibe, and its independent shops, some of which sell curios that you won't find anywhere else, like the brass lined magnifying glass that I bought from Electric Designs the other day. The owner was out on the pavement talking to the owner of the neighbouring shop, enjoying the sunshine, and discussing how everyone has had their glass fronts tagged with a diamond cutter in recent times... how rubbish is that? Being a dignified area, neither of them looked anything other than gentile and composed, (if it were me and my window, I would look a lot more scandalised, and would be spitting expletives as though on a conveyor belt). I'd asked Jeremy Sage if he was the owner of the shop as I went in... he was. I also asked him what kind of electricals he sold, because I couldn't for the life of me recall there being an electrical shop on Pontcanna Street. Clearly, in my haste I'd misread the sign... "Washing machines" he replied glibly, without a hint of sarcasm. About ten minutes later I emerged with my brass bound spyglass, that somehow would look very much at home on a tall ship, or some other aged wooden boat. The circular band of brass creates a lip about one and half inches in depth, allowing the magnifying glass to glide over newsprint in a fluid motion, doubling the size of the lettering as it goes. "How much is this washing machine?" I asked as I held it up for him to see. "I don't know", he replied flatly, and then came into the shop to try and find his purchase document so that he could calculate the retail price. He couldn't find it, and so instead picked a figure out of the air. I then presented my credit card, which he declined... "the minimum transaction charge was absolutely killing us" he explained. So, replacing it in my purse, I pulled out a twenty pound note. Rather gleefully he took and put it in his pocket, and then started jangling around in there in an attempt to find me some change. He was unsuccessful. Without explanation he then headed off out the door and down the street, returning about five minutes later triumphantly handing me £2.50. The whole thing was utterly gorgeous!

This is one of the best Londis shops in the world! It's owned by a really gentile, friendly man…read morecalled Mr Patel, who has been running his business here for twenty one years. Needless to say, he knows what he's doing! Mr Patel changed his independent store into a Londis about ten years ago, as he recognised the benefits of doing so. Being a Londis outlet means that Mr Patel can keep things how he wants them, i.e. as a family business, but also means that he is in a better position to compete with the supermarkets. For this reason I really like Spar and Londis franchises! Mr Patel has got all of his bases covered, which means that he can offer a sterling service to the community. He has an external ATM that can be access 24 / 7 (supplied by the Bank of Ireland and dispenses cash without levying a charge for withdrawals), and there's also a post office within the store that can provide cash over the counter during opening hours. He stocks a good range of fresh and dry food, and best of all, he knows his wines! There's a great selection of alcohol across the board, but he definitely excels in the vino department!

I feel that this shop perfectly treads that balance between supermarket and corner shop. I went in…read moreexpecting a corner shop, which is probably why I was so happy with it. I wouldn't be able to do my whole weekly shop there, though (although, they do have a lot of stock; I could probably give it a good try!). The shop itself is fairly good on pricing, though as a smaller shop it can't really compete with the larger shops in terms of offers. Nonetheless, I was happy with the amount I paid. The service was pretty good too, which is a rarity in grocery shops. (The service I had in Tesco the other day was shocking... oh, I feel a review coming.) All in all, it was a great shop to slip into and realise 'Oh, you actually have EVERYTHING I need for this recipe'.

Great for disney fans as you can get all srts of merchandise but it is badly laid out - not good if…read moreyou have shopping bags or a buggy. It's also quite small but they do seem to sell an awful lot for a small store! The quality of goods are, as to be expected from a disney store, amazing.

The Disney Store is amazing. Its centrally located so theres no excuse not to pop in. Although…read moresomethings are expensive everything is always of a high quality standard. There are amazing stationary options from files to writing books. The cuddly toys are amazing, id buy them all if I could. The staff are always polite and very helpful. You can also purchase Walt Disney World Park Tickets Via the store.

Springfield Superstore seems to be as keen to make claims that could be accused of being slightly…read moreexaggerated, just like The Claude pub across the road. It is a large convenience store that is very well run and offers a lot of products and services, when compared to other shops of this type, but a superstore it is not! So here's the list: Springfield Superstore sells tobacco, soft drinks, party cakes, fruit and veg, general groceries, Halal meat, spices, and offers mobile top-up and international phone cards. It always has a few great offers on, but the prices are generally higher than at the supermarket. Run by lovely people, I would prefer to buy stuff from here than at Tesco's any day!

Apu: Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart? Now here comes the tricky…read morepart. Oh, won't you rhyme with me? Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart? Marge: Their floors are stick-E-Mart, Lisa: They made Dad sick-E-Mart, Bart: Let's hurl a brick-E-Mart, Homer: The Kwik-E-Mart is real... D'oh! Quite. The Springfield Superstore has nothing to do with The Simpsons, nor does it have anything to do with superstores as it is a large convenience store, albeit one with a halal butcher at the back of store. Similar to World Foods on Strathnairn Street it is full of all the bits and pieces you'd ever need for a top notch Indian banquet, but unlike World Foods, Springfield Superstore can also slip you some fags and a packet of Monster Munch too. Also it's worth popping in if you want to know the score in the cricket as the fella will have it live on his laptop behind the counter. One question I'd like to ask though is why are the eggs located below the counter?