Mountain Trail may not catch your attention and drag you in off Holywood High Street but once…read moreinside it has a certain charm. From the moment you enter you feel like you have been transported back in time. Not because the products are dates, because they certainly aren't, but because of the old fashioned customer service on offer from the shopkeeper. A bell rings when you swing the door open and up jumps the friendly proprietor to greet you and ask can he help. From the moment I entered I felt at home and ended up chatting for half an hour. The shop itself sells a whole range of outdoor activity accessories and bikes. They have everything from racing bikes, mountain bikes to an old school BMX that I had my eye on. I was in the shop to look at the outdoor coats and I was expertly guided through the range. If you are an outdoor enthusiast I would highly recommend paying mountain trail a visit.

Mountain Trail has, more or less, all the same products as Tiso except it can be cheaper and you…read moredon't have to slug it all the way to Belfast. I have used the shop twice - the first time to buy a warm water proof fleece for the long Saturday afternoon rugby matches at Ravenhill - I got a regatta in pink for under £40 - a bargain I felt. The second time I used this shop was to buy little heat pads that you hold in your hand, break the metal disc and they heat up - you can put them in your socks to keep your feet warm or in your pockets for your hands - again I managed to get these cheaper than in other outdoor stores. Both experiences have been fine - I have got what I needed and been helped by a nice man who was full of information and advice. I also love the noticeboard outside that tells of local events and charity ventures one can take part in to do with the great outdoors - a great place to check if you fancy an adventure!

I used to run for a club before I discovered the pleasures of alcohol and nightclubs. I have…read morerecently joined a gym and discovered the joy of running once again. unfortunately my running shoes were a pair of converse boots and I knew this was not the right kind of footwear required to chase and catch Bolt and beat him to the post, so I headed up to Up and Running for a serious pair of runners. They sorted me out nicely with a new pair of Adidas, some lycra (never thought I'd be back in the stretchy stuff) jogging bottoms and a nifty little hand-formed water bottle. Decent prices, helpful well informed staff and a well stocked runners emporium. Catch me if you can!

Never been much into running myself though I did dabble a bit when I was (much) younger. This is…read morethe kind've shop I would have loved though had I the required budget. It's basically a huge shrine to everything related with running be it shoes, clothing or any number of accessories. It's in rather an unusual location in town, pretty much right in the middle of the main shopping area so that's testament to the fact it must do some great business. In fact the day I was in browsing there was a whole mob of Japanese tourist who seemed to be stocking up on a load of kit. Rather impressive and the guy behind the tills smile spoke volumes. Pros: Expert gear and advice. Cons: Pretty much just running stuff

Now This is a real oldie, it is located next to Bangor's oldest building and it would not be far…read moreoff being Bangor's oldest shop. Trap and tackle sells all the things you could possibly need for fishing. When I was young I called trap and tackle the gun shop. This is because it had a massive selection of pellet guns and hunting knives. It is the sort of shop that you see Ray Mears and Bear Grylls queueing at the counter Kitting themselves out for a lads weekend in the wilderness.

Perfectly situated right by the pier for rods, reels, nets and bait - basically everything you need…read morefor a days fishing you will be able to pick up in this wee shop. With fishing off the pier or chartering a boat being a popular past time in Bangor, particularly in the sunny summer months, there is real need for a shop like this that has something to offer for occassional fisherman or the seasoned professional. I used to go in here when I was younger to get stuff when me and my friends spent summer days fishing off the pier and the staff were always friendly and happy to help out. The prices are pretty standard, so you definitely won't be ripped off and won't be sold anything you don't actually need.

For me, Ards Shopping Centre isn't the kind of shopping centre you go to for a premium shopping…read moreexperience - it's more of a Bon Marche and Claire's Accessories kind of place. There are a couple of redeeming shops - River Island and McGees Butchers are worth a visit as is Belleek Living which is upmarket and a little out of place. Looks like it's showing off a bit with its luxury ceramics. I am also a bit of a Primark bargain hunter and while the branch in Ards is small, it seems to have some of the better bits you find in the bigger stores, particularly PJs. For a Primark raid, park behind the centre rather than in the car park and nip in the back door. If you do, you'll pass a line of cafes which are dated and forlorn but seem to do good business nonetheless. There are a couple of nicer places to grab a sandwich like Esquires coffee shop and the juice bar next door. There is a really big branch of Asda which does a good range of ladies and kids clothes and I've picked up a couple of good bits and piece for the kids there. All in all, Ards is somewhere for a functional shopping trip rather than a leisurely browse. You'll get your groceries and maybe pick up something in River Island or Primark. Or a fancy ceramic vase in Belleek Living.

About time I updated my review for Ards Shopping Centre from 2010 - so, what's changed? Much like…read moreother shopping centre's this one has a whole load of vacant/closed shops which is always sad to see. But let's focus on the positives. Ards has a good amount of big brand stores - River Island, Asda, Primark and a Boots store. One class addition to this centre is a soft, FREE children's play area - a perfect place to leave the kids or appease them after shopping. One thing Ards has abundance is parking - you won't struggle to find a space. There's also a Burger King and a Movieland cinema on the grounds so if you want to make a day of it you can. I'm taking a star off Ards for the amount of empty stores - perhaps give the empty units to independent retailers - it would definitely take the bad look off the place.

Conveniently located on Arthur's Street Trespass is the go to place if you're planning a camping or…read moreoutdoorsy trip. They sell everything from walking boots to board shorts. The staff are great - I popped in for a look and they were straight over to see if they could assist me in any way. It really seems that people are becoming more active and really embracing the country side so shops like this are seeing a huge upturn. Trespass often have great sales on so if you are after something in particular keep an eye out and you might bag a bargain. When looking at their shoes I noticed that they were actually quote expensive in comparison to other shops and online. Overall Trespass is A-OK. Good for outdoorsy stuff and a great place to go in and have a look round if you are planning an excursion.

I left Castle Court with my hands full at Poundland, Superdrug, Top Gift Outlet No. 92, and Bargain…read moreBooks in Belfast, UK. The assortment was impressive, offering excellent value for the items. The service was both professional and efficient. I bought birthday gifts, toys, adapter that can convert for U.K. to U.S. plug and other useful things.

It's nearly a year since I was last here. I was unimpressed last time and I felt this time that it…read moresure hadn't improved any, rather if it was to close I sure wouldn't miss it. The Wu flu has sure turned things upside down in retail with many retail companies that were barely holding on pre Wu flu were decimated through lock down. I went to Starbucks on the first floor and I had to wait for a seat as most seating has been removed or blocked off. Their service was real friendly for folk denied a living wage. The store was kept properly clean too. The coffee was darn good and it came in a real ceramic cup as for the last 15 months these chain coffee companies - the few that were open - have only given out paper cups with those nasty plastic lids - in this part of the world customers usually can't refuse the plastic lid - the elf & safety police - so 1 maybe 2 green stars for Starbucks. I took a walk to Yangtze to consider lunch; this place used to be a real highlight with darn good salted chilli prawns and squid, yeung chow fried rice (char siu pork; cooked shrimp; scallions, chopped; eggs yolks; peas; carrots) but these delights are all gone. They were going pre Wu Flu but it accelerated the decline. Instead, and just like my last visit, I watched staff placing big steel containers full of cooked food into a bain marie hot water bath, sweet & sour chicken, black bean chicken at 11am - even chips, chips in a bain marie for over an hour. The lights weren't even on, service was an hour away. So here it's all pre cooked chicken. No pork, no prawns and if there's beef I couldn't see it. Now take sweet & sour (just like black bean) the sauce is meant to be a coating on the meat. It's not stew like this place serves. The sauce isn't intended to constitute over half the served dish. The vegetables in these dishes, like peppers and carrots are meant to be stir fried and crisp - not stewed and limp like here. This is a perfect model of how to destroy a perfectly good business.

Bloomfield shopping centre is one of those places that I don't choose to go to .I only come here if…read moreI have too. I just feel that it is either quite a dead place to visit or it is so busy that the experience of shopping here can be quite traumatic! In honesty the place has improved over the last year and there have been quite a few new business opened up and some of the original ones have restructured but there still is something about the place that unlike other shopping centres doesn't entice me to want to stay and browse . In its defence there are a lot of new business opening which might improve the complex but I don't think anything would make me want to give up my precious time and come here for a days shopping .

Lots of decent shops. And growing…read more Can be very busy with people. Good that there is a food court. It doesn't have loads of seating though.

I had never been in nor heard of this fabulous little shop until today…read more I took myself out on a stroll in the glamorous Lisburn Road (I don't remember it being that glamorous many years ago when I was crawling home in the early hours with half a kebab all over my beck and several drunken students singing the the best of Take That!) The housing in this area is expensive and this attracts a well to do lot to the area. With well to do ladies comes lovely expensive clothing that they want to sell. And so Deja Vu was born. The shop works by a client leaving in a high end piece of clothing, shoes or accessories and then the shop sells it for them for 50% of the price. There are loads of beautiful tops, dresses and skirts from really posh designers - gorgeous. It's like a second hand shop with a difference. They also stock mother of the bride/groom outfits that have only been worn once, originally cost hundreds, even thousands and are in perfect condition. I wish I had have had more time to browse but I didn't - the woman who runs this place is the best sales assistant I have come across yet - lovely to chat to, no pressure, takes time, points out bargains and really seems to want to help. I'm sitting here wanting to go back for another look about. Great!

The Lisburn Road can be pretty pricey and sometimes a little conservative for a fashion-savy lady,…read moreand for that reason alone thank goodness for Deja Vu. Selling pre-worn designer (and not so well known, ahem, designer) ladies clothes, this place is a treasure trove of joy, often with quite unusual and rare pieces, perfect for when you don't want to turn up to your posh do with someone else in the same frock! That's what I love about here- the individuality. Super reasonable pricing too for what you get. They do turn around a good lot of clothes here and as they are second hand they may not have a huge variety of sizes, so if you see something you like don't dwell on it, just buy or it will be gone!