On the face of it, and indeed looking inside, Space EC1 is a lovely wee shop. It really is. But…read morethere's something not that good about it. I had to ask the assistant what they actually sold. Oops. "We're an independent gift shop" she replied, a big indignantly. And I kind of think this is one of those shops where you don't really know what they sell. I'm tempted to say 'tat'. It is tat, but it's really nice tate. So you can buy a teapot with a cover that makes it look like it's wearing a 'terrorist's balaclava'. Haw Haw. There's going to be someone out there, who will open the patterned fork and trowel and think that it's the best present they've ever had. But I don't know them. There's a bit of jewelry on sale, some nice greetings cards. Some moleskin diaries. Things like pocket gardens, where bulbs come pre-planted in the soil in the wrapping, so you just open and water. Dunno, as I said, it's all very nice, just not that usefull.

I like finding little shops where I can find all sorts of gifts. Space sells a little bit of…read moreeverything. You can find jewelry, books, mugs, cards, and wrapping paper. The way I list things you would think the store would be cluttered with junk, but that is not the case. Space is beautifully arranged in a small area. Everything is interesting, I found myself poking and prodding looking for a birthday gift for a dear friend. The hard part is that there is so much to choose from that it takes time to make a selection. Space is not the store for those in a rush and uncertain of what they are looking for. If you have time, it is a wonderful store to explore; it's small so it doesn't take long to look at everything. The hard part is making a decision. I do love that it's a one stop shop. I bought a card, a gift (settled on earrings) and wrapping paper. It's nice when I don't have to rush around putting a gift together!

Laura Jacks is a lovely gift and card shop in Egham, which suffers a bit from its location. As it's…read moreslightly out of the way of the main High Street it would be easy to miss, which would be a shame. It stocks unusual cards, gifts, jewellery, handbags, paintings, candles and so much more. It's a great place to find something unusual and is particularly good for gifts for new babies. There are so many beautiful things here I often end up wanting one of everything. Some of the stock is reasonably expensive, but there really is something for everyone. Plus if you're buying something as a gift they will gift wrap it for you too free of charge. A real treasure!

A lovely little shop, rammed full with so many lovely items. This is a great shop to go to for a…read moregift when you want something different from the usual run of the mill high street stuff! The staff are wonderful, lovely and friendly and so helpful. Makes me wish I had a little girl as a lot of the items are quite girly hmm but then I would be spending a fortune in there so maybe it's best I have boys! lol. That said there is something for everyone.

This Paperchase store is a really large store and is one of three of the brand's flagship stores,…read morealongside my local store in Manchester and a branch in Glasgow. The location of this store is decent, it is on Tottenham Court Road and is basically right next to Argos, and opposite Superdrug and Natwest (or at least a few minutes walk away on the other side of the road) This store is quite large, but the selection of stock is merely average for a store of its size, even compared to other Paperchase stores, I didn't notice a lot of cool items which they didn't sell in other stores, for example in terms of lever arch folders, they all seemed the same with nothing new compared to other flagship stores such as Manchester, and more smaller stores such as Newcastle or Liverpool. The store is over three floors, there is a bookshop and Tinderbox Coffee Shop on the first floor and a Crafts / Magazine floor on the Second. The staff around the store didn't seem too friendly either. This store overall was quite impressive in terms of size but for everything else, it was just average. I'm struggling here, although the size of the store is impressive I can't help but feel some aspects with the feel of the store, the service not being great, the level of products not being as good as one would expect from the size of the store, and the unwelcoming nature as you enter the store, I sadly feel it deserves just two-stars.

As a stationery (come on guys you have to spell it right) addict, I have to limit the number of…read morePaperchase stores I enter for fear of finding another great note pad & hence forgetting where my important lists are ( you know the pad with the hearts on, the pink hearts, when my poor OH holds up my array of pads trying to find the one I've 'lost') So highlights of this store! 3 levels and a coffee shop Offers craft classes The hidden discount section, back corner of top floor Personalisation of note pads etc Friendly lovely staff And it stocks the full range & more! Any craft items that you may need or never realised you d need you ll find it here. Don't forget to also get a treat me card, so many discounts such as 15% off emailed occasionally, discounts on personalising pads and money off craft classes too.

Attentive service. Great eclectic choices. Overall great vibes. Charming decor. Great place to find…read morethe original gift for someone hard to please.

I'm delighted to learn about their products. I didn't think I'd be able to afford an outdoor dining…read moreset, but the prices were quite reasonable. Since it was delivered, I've been sitting in my garden every day, so I'm really satisfied!

A lovely stationery and novelty shop just off the beaten path…read more The shop was full of gifts, goods, and goodies for the office/home office, for school, for brides-to-be and bridesmaids, and anyone else on the list. The shop had a large stock of journals and notebooks with all sorts of funny and inspirational messages scrolled on the front. Naturally, there were also lots and lots of pens and coloured pencils, from sleek and sophisticated to sparkly and silly. There were tons of greeting cards for just about every occasion, as well as a beautiful display of both loose and rolled gift wrapping paper. I came here looking for heavy, high quality stationery and found some beautiful ivory linen paper with matching envelopes. It was a delightfully pleasant weight and otherwise lovely to touch, although the ink did not adhere firmly to the paper. I had to print a few copies before I was able to produce an acceptable copy with minimal fading and smudging.

Paperchase is a fairly small store in The Piazza, Covent Garden yet still the store has a pretty…read moredecent feel to it and selection, although getting into the store and certain parts around the store can be pretty narrow. They have a pretty good selection of stationery and a wide range of greetings cards considering it isn't a huge store, it is a great place to have in Covent Garden but it does get packed quite frequently, perhaps even more than their flagship location on Tottenham Court Road. The staff again seemed friendly enough, and although the store's size and narrowness can make it uncomfortable at times, it still remains a pretty good store for someone with a stationary addiction to someone looking for a greetings card, or something in-between. 3*

If you have children or grandchildren or are just young at heart, this toy store is where you want…read moreto shop. Not only is it overflowing with all kinds of imaginative and creative toys and games, the staff and owner give the kind of service that box stores and even large department stores just do not give anymore. Run, don't walk to shop here. It is so worth it. My husband and I went in seeking a game that our daughter could not find that is from Denmark that our granddaughter had played and loved. While the store owner did not have it, she happened to be going to Denmark. On her own time, she made a special effort to find it, and bring it back in time for us to get to our granddaughter by Christmas. When you find that kind of dedication to a child's joy, it tells you a lot about what a great place it is to shop.

I used to come here as a child and always loved it. Great selection, kind staff and good prices…read more I live in New York now but whenever I visit my parents in London, Happy Returns is a guaranteed stop for my daughter. She loves everything about the place - great selection of JellyCats, super toddler toys and even some educational gifts for my older niece. Excellent inventory and they are always bringing in new toys, so it never gets old. The current owner Jenny is really wonderful. My daughter was playing with a Peppa Pig backpack but it was a bit too big for her, so Jenny got her a Peppa Pig handbag she wears the whole time now. She's great; really cares about the kids and the parents. I absolutely love Happy Returns!!

My nephew back in Germany is crazy about the miniature London double decker bus I gave him for this…read morepast Christmas. So when I walked by this store (on my way to Highgate Wood) this past weekend and I spotted a kid's T-shirt with the London bus featured on it, I knew that this would be the perfect gift for said nephew's upcoming birthday! Walking into the shop, the lady behind the counter greeted my with a warm smile and offered her help. I right away liked how she was very passionate about the T-shirts and other garments made my a local designer. As I didn't have any money on me, she put the T-shirt aside for me and when I came back later in the day, I also bought another T-shirt for my other nephew...they are just too cute! Aside from children's clothing, this shop offers plenty of other gifteable things...the perfect location for anyone who's in need of a present ;-)

My favourite go to in Highgate ! They have something for everyone! Wonderful customer service, they…read morewill even wrap for you !!

Proper English stationary store. So many gorgeous planners, pens, stationary, gift wrap, paper…read moreweights, candles, stickers and more!! Really enjoyed coming in here!!

What A gorgeous store with a great selection of papers, pens and other letter writing products,…read morejournals, wax seals, ribbons, etc. Staff was super friendly and helpful.