I'm sorry i really couldn't resist sticking this on here; have you ever seen such amazing signage?!…read more Basically it's a shop that sells fridges and freezers. The shop's so Small and warehouse like that it spills onto the street, and when you pass in the evening as the staff packing up you see fridges being wheeled along the street. seemingly by themselves When i first moved to Northwold Rd, i remember saying to a friend that i lived there and her retorting "Oh my GOD, that's the road with Sellfridges on isn't it?" - this gals from Peckham and never ventures North, so Sellfridges is pretty famous. I just love the cheek of the owners!

This funny little shop, located right next to Daniel Defoe primary school, is like something out of…read moreanother era. The dusty shop window is full of bits of appliances and doesn't really look like a going concern. Even the owner dresses like Arkwright out of Open All Hours. But despite appearances to the contrary, it is open and if you've got a broken appliance they can mend it (probably!). I always used to get them round to fix my clapped out old Electrolux washing machine, until it finally gave up the ghost and died. The two guys who fix washing machines come as a double act and are quite chatty. The shop will also tackle broken vacuum cleaners, including dysons. You have to take your dyson in on a Saturday morning for assessment. It must be cheaper than buying a new one (and more environmentally friendly to fix it). They also stock vacuum cleaner bags.

This is my local DIY shop, and I get all the bits and bobs for the house from here. Its really well…read morestocked with a range of good quality products that are reasonably priced. The people are always friendly and happy for a chat. Its would probably be cheaper to go to a larger store like Homebase to get larger or bulk supplies, but this store is great for emergency things, like power drill screws and green light bulbs.

Kac is a family-run homeware/DIY shop on Stoke Newington Church Street. They stock just about…read moreeverything you would ever need for the home- electrical appliances, plug sockets, paint, brushes, ladders and light bulbs. Everything seems very reasonably priced and the father and son that work there are SO nice that I ended up staying in the for an hour, chatting and buying things I really didn't need.

I don't have time to prepare and cook my food as I am busy…read morewith work, but lately, I noticed that my oven was dirty. I mentioned this problem to my partner and he recommended your oven cleaning company in London. We called you up and we were pleased with the result. I will call more often.

Oven cleaning should be considered so my ovens can perform…read moreefficiently. I called your company in London and your cleaners cleaned meticulously. You also took care of my other appliances like the microwave, toaster and fridge. Oh, you also cleaned my BBQ grills. Your cleaners were reliable and trustworthy. The service is not that expensive.

Out of all the stores in Smug Newington, this one is definitely the most smug. Nothing says 'I've…read moremade it' more than decking your kids out in the latest trends, except maybe doing the same to your pet poodle. I'm not bitter though and when I have kids I won't have them running around the pub or doing my chores in sackcloth. It's not just clothes either, it's a lifestyle boutique for kids. Ah hem. Yes and it's named after Olive, the owners three your old daughter who apparently presented her best friend Alfie with a t-shirt emblazoned with the words "Olive loves Alfie," which provided the inspiration for the name of the shop. If I'd done that when I was three my dad probably would have sent me to the Nigerian military school he went to. Youth of today eh? The clothes, toys and books they have there are beautiful and when my friends start squirting out sprogs I will definitely be the toast of all the baby showers, with hampers of perfect presents from this shop. My favourites at the moment are the giant Russian dolls, kimono style romper suits and the knitted black girl rag doll in the window. I'm almost broody.

This shop is a lot of fun to browse through. I came here with the intent of picking out a present…read morefor a newborn baby, and the range and styles just boggled my mind. If you want your child to be stylishly dressed, this shop is a step in the right direction. There is music available for kids too, along with some presents and furniture. What I really like about the place is that they stock some vintage clothing for children, and toys as well. Imagine a child dressed in a white lace vintage dress - how adorable! Some of the best dressed children in London come and shop at this store, and we can see why - their parents have taste!

Initially went in here thinking it was a furniture recovery and up-cycling place, but it wasn't,…read morebut kinda still felt like it. It is a lovely little shop that has been put together with a tasteful mish-mash of furniture and shop fittings from many different eras. Quite a wide range of products on offer here from cosmetics and men's shaving kits to hand made cushion covers and personalised stationery sets. This place is well worth popping into, even if it is just to look at the great decor of the shop itself :)

Classic *SIDN store for me. Very pretty, mostly too expensive for my salary…read more Accessories, stationary goods, art, housewares, skincare products. Sigh. At least a look around is in order when I'm in the neighborhood. *Shit I Don't Need. The kind of place where I want everything but don't really need anything and wouldn't spend that much money on myself but maybe on a present for a friend.

This garden centre is truly a little gem. While it is tiny, and as such can't rival the scale and…read morevariety of larger out of town centres, it packs in a great deal. I sadly don't have a garden, but I love dropping in just to browse. They have a small outside section with a good variety of plants which vary with the season. It's almost like visiting an actual garden. Inside is also immaculately presented, with a small but good range of seeds, pretty pots, garden ornaments, etc. The staff are friendly too. I really wish I could go in for more than a few seeds for a window box According to their website they've been awarded Garden Centre of the year 2007 by the Horticultural Trade, in recognition of their innovative use of a small space. Can't be bad if other Garden Centres recognise how good they are! Their website is http://n1gc.co.uk/

I wouldn't really call myself the green fingered type. In fact, it would be fair to say that my…read moremost successful gardening moment to date was aged 9, growing cress from a yoghurt pot with the rest of Primary 5. Recently however, I've had a revelation and I am now growing not one, but six (!) different herbs. Although off-put occassionally by rouge squirrels having a nosey, last weekend I successfully grew them to the height that repotting was required. Not up for treking out to one of the mega gardening centres, I was very pleased to discover that only 10 minutes walk away was the beautiful North One! This little garden centre is small but perfectly formed. As well as stock a range of pot plants and herbs, they have every type of seed, soil, pot and cane imaginable. Prices are however, a bit more steep than you would get in one of the chains. I was a bit taken a back to discover that a cute purple bench, just big enough for two but no more was selling for £250. Needless to say I left that one to someone that might be feeling a bit more flash than myself! Now I've put my gardening kitty to use I can safety assure you that Mr Mint, Lord Thyme, Miss Chives, Sir Sage, Prof Parsely and Queen Rosemary are looking better than ever! Four terracotta pots, soil, plant food, and a few other bits and pieces came to around £35. Ok, it's a bit more than I wanted to pay but the whole day was lovely. No long commute. No chain garden centre. Just a lovely walk around Islington followed by a day of getting my hands dirty. Perfect!