Scholastic are publishers of children's books and educational books. Normally they sell through…read morebookshops but every so often they have book sales in Witney which are well worth going to if you are in the area. Good books are sold cheap as chips. The only problem is finding out about the sales - not a problem if you check out their web site or sign up to be e-mailed but a bit hit and miss if you rely on noticing the advert in the Oxford Times. http://www.scholastic.co.uk/sale/witney

Brilliant place especially when they have a sale on!read more

A nice book shop, but FAR TOO SMALL!! I like to browse the shelves in comfort, rather than standing…read morein a crowd of people (why does everyone always seem to be in the same place?!) and constantly having to move out the way of others. It has a good range of books though and also sells some nice cards and odds and ends at the checkout. They do an ordering service too, which is probably good as they can't possibly hold enough stock to suit everyone. The shop has a nice atmosphere though and the staff are friendly.

Jolly's might look like an old fashion British department store from the outside, but it is…read moreactually a part of the House of Fraser group. But even though it's part of a chain, House of Fraser should be commended for making it look as though it's an independent department shop. Spread over three levels it's a one-stop shop for ladies who love retail; there's fashion, cosmetics, homeware and a cafe to sit down after an exhausting shopping session. It may all seem a bit middle class but look closely and there's plenty for younger girls too. There's an Oasis, Benefit, MAC and All Saints to name but a few stands. Not the cheapest of places, but a lovely place to go if you're trying to please a whole family of shoppers. They also hold weekly one-off events so make sure you pop in to see what's happening in-store.

Proper higgledy-piggledy department store of old, lots of steps and staircases making it unsuitable…read morefor shopping with a buggy. Ladies clothes - lots of concessions, Planet, Paul Costelloe, phase eight etc plus House of Fraser own brands linea and platinum. Good undies section, and leather handbags and gloves. All the major perfum people are there - use the top entrances to get straight to these. Homeware a bit hit and miss, always worth a look when it's a 20% off day. Staff are either very young or old (some of the ladies in the clothes area must be over 70 - lovely people, not so hot on the till technology) and are ALWAYS pushing the storecard.

M&S cafes throughout the UK currently have an after 3pm deal of £3 for any of their delicious…read morecoffees and a slice of scrummy cake. The quality of any M&S cafe coffee bean at least matches Starbucks and is always fair trade ethically sourced and free from trans fats and nasty oils. The size of the cake slice isn't as generous as it was pre covid but the food remains delicious and worth every penny and M&S is very much worth supporting as they are ethically tuned in. This city centre cafe had a choice of three different sponge cakes - a lemon (my wife's choice) a coffee & walnut (my choice) and a third that I don't remember. They didn't have Victoria sponge which would usually be my first choice. M&S cafes provide free iced water too and I will keep mentioning this as in July 2022 I was charged 5 pence by Starbucks in Portsmouth UK for a plastic cup of iced tap water. My Yelp friend Grey R could scarce believe it. I've not been to a Starbucks since and it's been my go to coffee place for years. Oh and the M&S deal provided a cappuccino and cake for less than just the price of cappuccino alone at Starbucks as the latter has recently raised prices substantially. Did I hear someone shout 'Greedy beggars'.

This is one of my favourite shops! They have really improved over the years and the fashion is…read moregreat. The special offers are really good and they have tried hard to not to out price themselves. I would always go here first before trailing around the smaller shops. They seem to cater for all ages and not the frumpy clothes of the past. The staff are amazing and really enjoy their jobs. Always a friendly word etc. The coffee shop is great, you can get some really nice food. we often stop here for a coffee break or lunch. The people running the cafe are really great.

I love this place and should carry a backpack or large tote bag every time I visit. The store is…read moresplit between two shops right next to each other, but I haven't even bothered with the other side. On one occasion I thought, "I'll have a peek at the other shop and see what they have... or... I could just go straight to the yarn." So I went straight to the yarn! While the shop is small and makes for very cozy shopping when there are lots of customers (and I never see the place dead), they manage to pack a lot of items into the shop. I would almost say that they have more selection of colors and style of yarn than my local Hobbycraft! At the back is the yarn, careful if the door is shut as some customers/staff come through the back door as you are browsing. There are knitting needles, crochet hooks, and other various items hanging on the back wall/door as well. Some of the skeins are in cubbies, some are in baskets on the floor, and there is another shelf with bags of yarn. I thought at first I needed to ask to get into the bags, however, the staff are usually quite busy, so help yourself. In the area next to the yarn is fabric and in the center of the store is a table to measure and cut fabric. The front of the store seems to be more for buttons, needles, ribbons, and other sewing supplies. They do take credit cards if you are building your yarn stash, but there are cash machines nearby if you are just buying small items. Some of the staff are very friendly, others not so much, but they are helpful and efficient, which I think is more important. Although when one of the men that work at the store bagged up my yarn, he very kindly said, "If the colours are not correct, please come back and we will help." I like that as sometimes the dye lots are not the same or you are buying from memory. I haven't yet asked if they can special order yarn, but with the amount of business they do, I get the feeling that they may be able to help.

A great little shop in Havelock Street. Stuffed full of sewing/knitting stuff. Dress patterns,…read moreknitting wool, fabrics, buttons, ribbons, etc etc. Also everything you might need for soft toy making. Not much room to move so if there are a couple of customers in there at the same time best keep still! Helpful staff.

Topping & Co is pretty much the ideal bookshop for this new frame of mind. Set in a beautiful…read moreformer Quaker meeting house, just round the corner from Bath Abbey. it is literally the stuff of book-lovers' dreams. Gorgeous shelf ladders, carefully curated displays, and a really friendly atmosphere, coupled with a quirky building and fabulous views. There's a wonderful gallery/walkway and a huge basement, so the whole place is surprisingly big. We visited just after Christmas, which only added to its charm. Topping and Company Booksellers, in the beautiful and quintessentially English city of Bath, have many different incarnations. We bought one book, had a cup of coffee, did chit chat with the owner/staff, and then proceeded to the other stop

The most adorable bookstore. I wish I had more time to browse before returning to my tour bus. Only…read moredownside is that it is a little bit cramped at times.

This shop is on the High Street in Wootton Bassett with parking in the road right outside the shop…read more They sell just about everything from hardware, motor accessories, DIY stuff and pet food and accessories. A very well established shop which has been on the High Street for many, many years. A well stocked and staffed shop. Very helpful staff.

I like WHSmiths and I hope they continue trading and don't go the way of Woolworths. WHSmiths…read morealways have a great selection of magazines and stationary and these are the main things I buy here. Books tend to be slightly more expensive but I like to try and buy them here. The local interest and map section in the Wantage branch is very good. A great shop with friendly staff though I wish they'd stop offering me cheap chocolate at the till, I get too tempted! Also, I don't find the money off vouchers very useful. They either run out too quickly or you have to spend too much to get the money off so I tend to bin them straight away.