Alex D.

Review of Embankment Underground Station

04 May 08, 16:31

right on the river!

Right on the edge of the river, Embankment is a great stop on the tube if you fancy a wander along the river of an evening - which I have been known to do on occasions! It's not really a busy stop so I've never had a problem getting on/off here. Apparantly the station was also featured in the film Sliding Doors!

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Review of Covent Garden Underground Station

04 May 08, 16:27

busy busy - and just down the road from Leicester Square!

Many a time I have begun to queue at Covent Garden only to think to myself "what am I doing?!" and walked down the road to the far less busy Leicester Square - it's all of 200 metres down the road! Covent Garden is touted as the busiest stop on the underground and it could well be - being right in the middle of a busy shopping district in London. Until recently it was 'exit only' although this has now been lifted, and I believe it is the only station on the underground where you have to use a lift to get between high street level and platform level!

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Review of Leicester Square Underground Station

04 May 08, 16:20

busy in the evenings as you'd expect...

Whenever I go to London and need to get off at Leicester Square I seem to have perfected getting lost the moment I get out the station and I'm not really sure how! I then feel like a right fool as I walk round the block three times trying to get my bearings!

Leicester Square is on the Northern and Picadilly tube lines and is a short walk to many of London's theatre venues which mean this station gets really busy in the evenings...

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Review of Waterloo Railway Station

04 May 08, 16:07

More than trains!

Waterloo. Couldn't escape if I wanted to. Frankly ABBA weren't trying very hard - there are several exits from Waterloo station which make 'escaping' a fairly easy operation. It also means if you're meeting a friend or following directions to somewhere that involved going "outside and turning left" then you'll probably get lost as you've no idea which "outside" they're talking about!

There's a great range of little shops inside Waterloo Station, though for one I've never got to the train station only to discover that I was missing my all-important tie - so important was my need for a tie that I couldn't wait until I got back home but that I had to buy a tie there and then. If you have ever experienced such a thing you will be delighted to know there is a Tie Rack at the station. If you haven't experienced it you may be as confused as I.

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Review of Burger King

04 May 08, 15:54

busy at weekends!

When I used to work near here this place was difficult to walk past at lunchtimes without feeling compelled to go in! The only time this wasn't the case was in summer on Saturdays when the place fills up so much the queue is out of the door for most of the afternoon! Thankfully I realised I should perhaps eat elsewhere occasionally else I wouldn't fit through the door anymore...

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Review of Just Add Water Sports

04 May 08, 15:48

Dude, a surfer shop!

Just Add Water is a sports store with a real surfer element to it. You feel like you should say 'dude' at the end of every sentence, dude. They do sell some really nice clothing dude. It can be a bit more than you were willing to pay but it's different to the clothing you'll find elsewhere dude. Also the staff are pretty friendly and helpful dude. Awesome dude!

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Review of Hot Rocks

04 May 08, 15:39

great location for a restaurant!

The best bit about Hot Rocks has to be the location - right on the beach, how can you beat that?! There's something really nice about being able to tuck into your dinner whilst looking out over the beach at the sea. The food is pretty good too - they do all the burgers and steak that you'd expect from this surfy-type restaurant - it seemingly works because it's always busy!

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Review of Cooper Dean Arms Harvester

04 May 08, 15:31

Oh ye faithful salad cart!

I love those magic words at Harvester restaurants "you can help yourself to as much as you like from the salad cart".... Oh ye faithful salad cart, what would I do without you?!!

The Cooper Dean is always really busy but you can usually grab a table.. When I say "grab", I mean "sit at", as opposed to actually picking up the table and walking out with it. The latter would be illegal, rude and unhelpful, to be honest. Plus you'd be leaving the staff a table short which would be confusing to say the least.

They do a decent job of getting you served here and the food is alright too when it comes.

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Review of Asda Stores

04 May 08, 15:20

a cheap supermarket AND fast food?

You know what you get with Asda - cheap! But this one has a McDonalds too which can be great if you're a bit peckish - or a nightmare if you've brought the kids shopping - try getting past that without one of them chirping up "i'm hungry!" - oh, funny that, you weren't hungry BEFORE we left home, but now we're outside a fast food store you're all of a sudden struck by a bout of hunger?!

The only thing I dislike about this Asda is getting out the car park afterwards! The exit is more or less right onto St Pauls Roundabout which is busy and chaotic at the best of times - do expect other drivers to swear and 'gesture' at you as you try and get onto the main road!

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Review of The Hampton Court Palace

04 May 08, 15:11

if you're into your history, you'll love it!

I went here on a school trip years ago and keep meaning to go back... I''m not selling it to you am I? Well it's a huge house that Henry VIII lived in. You know - the guy with all those wives - how did he cope?! Chances are you can find out here - they have tours available and loads of information scattered about the place so if you're into your history then you'll love the place.

If you're not into your history then you might enjoy the fabulous gardens outside - it's even got a maze for you to go get lost in which is quite fun, until it becomes frustrating when you can't find the way out... But that's your own fault for getting lost!

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Review of Shell UK

04 May 08, 14:34

cheap!

This petrol station is located right opposite the University and was always my favourite place to fill up, because it was usually cheaper than most other places in town! I think because Southampton is so close to the Fawley Oil Refinary this must be the cause for the petrol price being lower than elsewhere in the country...

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Review of Harvey Nichols

04 May 08, 13:43

how much?!!

I went in here once. I'm quite surprised they didn't charge me an entry fee. It's that kind of place. To be fair I probably would have paid up if they had asked... Maybe they should consider it? They do some really nice stuff but be prepared to remortgage your house to pay for it...

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Review of Power FM

04 May 08, 13:39

they play good music...

They play today's best music which is usually all the stuff I like that's out at the moment and they play 40 minutes non-stop every hour in the day. I think Zoe & Gillies are great - especially with Sparky doing all his stunts, I feel sorry for him! Ben Glover annoys me though...

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Review of Heart FM

04 May 08, 13:36

ideal to have on in the background

I sometimes put Heart on in the background while I'm doing something, and forget it's even on so it can stay on for hours at a time. It's the kind of music that you can let just drift along in the background as it doesn't really require much attention, and the DJs dont' talk that much either during the day which is good.

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Review of Galaxy 102

04 May 08, 13:34

Good at certain times of the day!

If you like your music with a bit of bling then Galaxy does just that - it plays only the finest dance & r'n'b which can be really good when you're getting ready to go out and can't find anything good on the other local stations, but at some times of day I find it a bit too much and think they should play more of the dance and less of the urban but I guess they have to please as many people as they can...

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Review of Jurys Inn Southampton

04 May 08, 13:31

good effort!

OK, so let's imagining you're designing a hotel... Where would you put it? Right in the middle of a roundabout of course! That's not going to annoy anyone!

That's exactly where the Jurys Inn is in Southampton, but don't let that put you off too much. It does mean that all rooms have a nice view of the, errr, road, but if you're on the right side some also overlook some of Southampton's gardens which can be quite pleasant. Thankfully the windows keep out most of the noise so it's pleasant enough, and the staff are very efficient too.

For it's location it's not a bad effort!

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Review of Sony Centre

04 May 08, 13:25

Sony as far as the eye can see!

This is one of those places I occasionally pop in to look at the expensive stuff and dream to myself "one day.... one day..." Usually it's just at this point when one of the very attentive and helpful members of staff approaches me and asks if they can help at all. Well, unless they have any career plans for me then the answer is usually a no but they do stock a large range of other Sony products too...

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Review of Madame Tussauds

04 May 08, 13:05

great attraction, but expensive...

It's not cheap. In fact I'd go as far as to say it's expensive for what it is. But you can wander round and have your picture taken with a host of celebrities. OK, so they're made of wax, but most of the real celebs have all been surgically enhanced anyway so it's practically the same thing!

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Review of London Aquarium

04 May 08, 12:56

fish! so many fish!

This place is brilliant if you're in London and it rains! You can easily spend a couple of hours just wandering round looking at the fish - longer if you've got kids! The staff are really friendly and happy to answer questions and the bit where you can touch the stingrays in brilliant - if not a little scary... OK, very scary! Although the kids were fine with it - it was mostly the adults backing away!

The only negative is that for what it is it's a bit pricey, but I think it's one of those things that you have to do at some point!

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Review of Megabowl Ten Pin Bowling Alleys

04 May 08, 12:51

good off-peak bowling deal!

As they say, "the only way to bowl is to Megabowl", and to be honest in Southampton they're right! What I love is if you go during the day they do a great offer where you can bowl unlimited for a really cheap price. If you go at weekends then they do sting you price-wise, but that's because it's always busy and all the lanes are always in use so they can put the prices up - fair dinkum!

One tip - eat somewhere else... The food is overpriced and rubbish.

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Review of Pizza Paradise

04 May 08, 12:29

always has good special offers!

The pizzas from this place are great and they're always posting leaflets through my door to keep me up-to-date which is good, because there's nothing worse than not being up-to-date with the special offers at your local takeaway! Imagine the embarassment in ringing up and ordering a "mighty meaty" only to be informed that it has now been renamed a "meat feast", oh the shame! Thankfully due to their publicity I have never made this mistake.

I do find their prices a bit high compared to other pizza takeaways in other parts of the country that I have been to, but then in Flitwick they do have a bit of a pizza-based monopoly in that there is no real competition in the area so I guess they can get away with charging that little bit extra.

I'm hungry now.

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Review of Makro Multi Trade Centre

04 May 08, 12:03

good - once you get in!

Makro is a cash & carry that sells just about everything! I've been here a few times to pick up various bits for events and had problems getting in even with a card - because it belonged to my boss rather than me, and even showing proof we worked for the same company wasn't good enough for them - I had to go all the way back and get a written letter - I felt like I was at school again trying to get out of P.E! Once I eventually got in, the goods are stocked floor to ceiling but thankfully there are HUGE trollies and ladders to help you get around / get the stock you need and the checkout staff are quite chirpy too.

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Review of John Lewis

30 Apr 08, 17:22

huge but somewhat expensive!

John Lewis in West Quay is huge, and designed so that you get lost - it took me several trips here to LEARN the way out... Because otherwise there's mirrors and pillars everywhere and you'll find yourself walking round in circles for ages before you find the way out! Most of their stuff seems vastly overpriced, but in amongst it there are some quality products at reasonable prices!

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Review of Halfords

30 Apr 08, 17:13

good products, not such great service!

This Halfords, at the retail park, always has a display of mountain bikes outside, but when you go inside they don't actually have that big a range of bikes! Go figure! The staff aren't terribly knowledgeable about them either, but on the plus side they have a good range of accessories and stuff for your car. Which is a shame, because being at West Quay Retail Park means you've probably had to park miles away from your car!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Grosvenor Casino

30 Apr 08, 17:07

first timers needn't feel worried!

Grosvenor Casino is a great night out - only for anyone over 18 of course, but you don't have to pay an entry fee or become a member - you can just turn up and have fun... The place isn't just for the seasoned pro's - you needn't feel stupid if it's your first time as there's leaflets and guides on how to play and the staff will explain as well if you want(!). They also have special events every now and then that give you discounts and freebies and the like so watch out for those too! Becoming a popular place to go for a party!

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Review of Furniture Village

30 Apr 08, 17:03

a HUGE range of furniture...

Based down at the retail park behind West Quay, Furniture Village is a HUGE store with more sofas than you can imagine. And not just sofa's - they sell a whole range of furniture. When I went in there were lots of staff who approached me straight away asking if I needed assistance and were very welcoming.

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Review of Diva

30 Apr 08, 16:56

Ikon's little sister...

This is Ikon's sister club right next door. Actually, not even next door - they have a connecting 'tunnel' between the two. I used to stand in it and get very confused with very different music blasting loudly into both my ears.

Much like Ikon, Diva is alright but very dependent on the crowd - some nights can be very chavvy, others can seem quite classy... Entirely up to what is on and who is there, but on the whole it's a good night...

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Review of Brantano Footwear

30 Apr 08, 16:51

lots and lots of shoes...

Brantano is a brand that Europe has known about for ages, but they've only been in this country for a few years... This is a typical Brantano branch - it's on a retail park, but being the West Quay Retail Park you'll still have to hunt for a parking space. The place itself goes for the whole 'warehouse' feel which will leave you feeling a bit cold in every sense, but hey, it's a shoe shop, not a lounge... There are some really good shoes in here for every occasion. Well, nearly every occasion...

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Review of Alan Day Honda

30 Apr 08, 16:45

Friendly Honda dealer

Alan Day Honda is right down on the seafront in Southampton so the cars come off the ferry and can literally stumble into Alan Day Honda! The staff here are really helpful and they have a good range of cars on offer, usually some big discounts too...

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Review of Rosebys

30 Apr 08, 15:47

cheap stuff for your home...

Rosebys are always selling cheap stuff for your home - pillows, duvet covers, sheets - that sort of thing! It's not all bedding either, rugs and throws and all of that malarky - go have a look, you'll find yourself a bargain as there's usually big discounts on most of the stock! The staff can be a bit slow, in every sense, but you'll be able to pay for your things eventually!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Londis

30 Apr 08, 15:36

useful store in a good location...

This Londis is a real convenience for the housing estate opposite and the rows of houses behind. Because of it's location there always seem to be youths hanging round outside but they don't seem to cause that much trouble. If you're in the proximity and in need of a paper or a bottle of milk then pop in - they sell both of these things here!

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Review of TK Maxx

30 Apr 08, 10:42

a HUGE selection of homeware, and some good clothing labels too...

Ladies and kids stuff downstairs, and upstairs for menswear and the biggest (and most random) selection of homeware you've probably ever seen. Some of the stuff here is dirt cheap, and some of it seems vastly overpriced - have a good old rummage and you're bound to find something you like... The homeware section is particularly useful if you want a cheap(ish) alternative to high street brands.

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Review of The Old Fat Cat

29 Apr 08, 19:22

at weekends - dreadful, in the week - quite good!

The Old Fat Cat is one of those pub/bar crossover places that you're not sure whether to pop in for quick pint on the way home or whether you should make a night of it here with some friends. At weekends it fills with, errm, older female clientel who are all up for being loud and falling all over the place. Avoid like the plague. In the week, however, different story and a genuinely good place to go for a drink or twelve!

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Review of Yates's Wine Lodge

29 Apr 08, 18:53

well-thought out Yates' branch...

Yates' Wine Lodge in Southampton is pretty much like every other Yates' in the country - there's drink and it's averagely priced, and at weekends they get a DJ in to give the place a bit of a 'livlier' feel. They also show all the big important sporting events so the place can get backed out - arrive early to get a seat!!! This one has an upstairs too with a balcony so you can see down to the main room so it does seem more like a club than a pub at weekends which is good!

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Review of The Swan

29 Apr 08, 18:42

friendly pub, good quiz!

Don't be fooled by how it looks from the outside - The Swan is a much friendlier place inside! It does have a bit of a 'local' feel, and the first time I went in I felt eyes descend on me, but soon after I realised that the atmosphere in a pub is what you make it - so we just had a good night! It's alright - not the best pub in Flitwick, but not the worst!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Varsity

29 Apr 08, 18:40

plain and simple no-frills bar

Varsity is a very studenty-type venue in that it's cheap and simply done-up - don't expect fancy decoration, don't expect any special nights, don't expect any entertainment. It's a bar to drink before you go on elsewhere - nothing more, nothing less.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Lizard Lounge

29 Apr 08, 18:38

great way to start a night!

The Lizard Lounge does super pizzas during the day, and at night many a time I've had a good night in here, although it can get VERY busy of a Friday/Saturday night, literally to the point you can't move(!), but hey, if you're on the pull then getting forced up close with a stranger can certainly help start that initial conversation!

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Review of Snowtrax

29 Apr 08, 18:09

LOADS of fun for kids and adults who wish they were kids again!

Snowtrax is SUCH good fun. I haven't been in the last couple of years, but the dry sloopes are still there and I had the most fun when we used to go 'Ringo-ing' - you sit in a giant donut and go down the hill and it doesn't take any skill whatsoever, so it suited me quite well! Friends who have been recently have said the prices are quite high for what it is, but on a day when the kids are bored it's great fun!

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Review of Costcutter

29 Apr 08, 18:02

cheap and handy, but not much else!

Costcutters on the High Street is one of the smaller Costcutter stores, but it has got everything you'll need at much cheaper prices than the bigger stores. Be warned, some of their items aren't the best quality, and the staff seem to have forgotten how to smile, but other than that it's cheap and what more do you want?

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Review of Pilgrims Progress

29 Apr 08, 14:34

"spoons glorious spoons" as we used to sing!

It's a Weatherspoons right in the middle of Bedford - one of two in the town centre. You know what you get - cheap drinks, cheap food, no discernable atmosphere but hey if you want one of those go somewhere else. The bar is always fairly busy in here but I've never had to wait that long to get served as the staff are quite good at keeping up.

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Review of J D Sports

28 Apr 08, 17:33

slow but helpful...

You know what you get with J D Sports which is what I like about the place. The one in Bedford has staff who seem knowledgeable if you ask them a specialist question, although service can be slow. If you need some general sport gear then they have a good range, but they only stock limited stock for the less popular sports.

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Review of JJB Sports

28 Apr 08, 17:30

no longer as great as it once was...

JJB in the Harpur Centre is a store I can never quite figure out whether they want it to be a small central sports store that stocks essentials, or a large chain store that services all your needs.

The result is that you get a bit confused - if you pop in on the off chance they'll have something you like then you won't find anything because there's too much there, or if you're looking for something in particular then you usually can't find it- I experienced this recently whilst looking for something and ended up getting it elsewhere instead! It's ok, but JJB is not the bastion of sport retail it once was, as this store proves.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Club 2000 Bingo

28 Apr 08, 17:24

well-managed catalogue store...

A friend of mine has almost become addicted to this place since joining as a 'bit of a laugh' a few months back! Apparantly it's NOT just full of old ladies chain smoking - it's becoming a really popular place for hen do's and birthday parties too, Club 2000 are trying to change the image of bingo... I'm yet to be convinced, but from the people I've seen coming out of this place up at the Aspects Leisure Park it seems like a good night out!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Spar

28 Apr 08, 17:16

handy if you don't fancy a supermarket trip...

The Flitwick Spar is open quite late so it's always busy with people who've run out of cheese (or more likely need another bottle of wine), and it's ideally situated amongst all the houses in Flitwick so gets lots of local custom. You wouldn't travel out of your way to go here but if you live nearby then pop in as an alternative to a trip to the big supermarket trip!

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Review of Co Op

28 Apr 08, 17:04

a lifesaver on many an occasion!

As far as convenience stores go, this one is alright, nothing special... The staff serve you but don't expect service with a smile or anything, but when you're just popping in because you've forgotten the milk do you need a patronising smile?

This place is a lifesaver for those little bits you forget...

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Review of Matalan

24 Apr 08, 13:39

cheap department store...

Matalan in The Mall Marlands is a very large Matalan store spread over two levels, with ladieswear, menswear, and homeware too, it's everything you need really at fairly cheap prices. The stuff isn't great quality but there are some good designs available if you hunt for stuff.

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Review of Woolworths

24 Apr 08, 13:37

average but popular...

The Woolworths in Portswood still thrives off the local population, and to some extent the local student population too. Recently refurbished, athough to be honest you wouldn't really notice. Staff aren't overly helpful, but do you need assistance buying a bag of Harribo?

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Argos

24 Apr 08, 13:25

well-managed catalogue store...

CastlePoint is the huge out of town shopping centre that has more car parking spaces than you can shake a very large stick at. This Argos is relatively new and to start with your stuff took AGES to come out, you'd end up sitting down so long your bum went numb, but they seem to have got that sorted out now and it runs quite efficiently and the staff are fairly pleasant too.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Argos

24 Apr 08, 11:48

catalogue shopping at its best...

This Argos has been in Christchurch for ages and is always where I head when in need of something that I'm not sure where to find it! What I love about Argos is that often the catalogue price is wrong and when you type something into the computer gadget that checks the stock the price it comes back with is LOWER than the one listed in the catalogue - resuilt!

The only downside with shopping at Argos is when you have to sit and wait for your stuff to arrive - it can be a bit like Christmas Eve waiting for Santa, except that the equivelant Santa in Argos is about 16 and looks far less enthusiastic about life than the big fat man in red ever did.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Pizza Hut

24 Apr 08, 11:41

great service, loads of parking!

The service at this Pizza Hut has always been great whenever I've been in, and if you're there early enough to get a buffet lunch then even better! It's located on the retail park too which means you can pop in after buying a television if you want, lovely jubbly, and as the previous poster mentioned, you'll never really have a parking problem... The only problem is avoiding people who ignore all the one way signs and try to drive the wrong way round the car park! Sort it out!!!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Next Retail

22 Apr 08, 17:10

everything you'd expect from the high street store...

Next on Palmerston road is a fairly large Next store that offers everything you'd expect from the high street chain - a healthy stock of menswear, ladieswear, kidswear and homewares. This branch isn't the best kitted out and sometimes lacking in stock that the other stores have in abundance but I've always found the staff here most helpful.

Nowadays I like the fact you can shop on their website- see what you like the look of then when you go instore you already (sort of) know what you're looking for! Saves a lot of time!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Matalan

22 Apr 08, 16:39

THE bastion of cheap.

Matalan is the bastion of cheap fashion. One thing I've never quite been able to work out is why on earth they insist on you having a 'Mataln Card'... What IS the point of it? They have my address yet they don't use it to spam me, they have my phone number but never call me, so what DO they do with my info, and why won't they let me buy anything without my flippin Matalan card?!!

It's one of those department stores that sells everything for your home as well as clothes you can pick up some new bedding and a fake plant or three for the living room. A lot of the stuff seems quite poor to me, but I usually find some really good stuff in amongst it.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Miss Selfridge

22 Apr 08, 16:36

girls love it!

Though personally I haven't ever bought anything from here, many a time I have been a-wandering through with a female friend who has reminded me that Miss Selfridge sell some of the best clothes. And then we have spent several hours where I have to hang around while they try on this dress and that dress and decide which looks better, so I add my own comments that they both look nice, and so of course we end up buying both of them. Brilliant.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of H & M

22 Apr 08, 16:19

it would seem standards are slipping... still good though!

This is the recently opened H&M in Portsmouth that offers a HUGE range of clothing for men, women, and children... You can spend hours browsing in here, and either spend an absolute fortune OR come out having spent nothing.... Recently my shopping experience here has reflected the latter of these options and I'm not really sure why. I wander between the rails and think "that's nice" to a lot of stuff, but nothing that REALLY appeals to me. I get the sense that since H&M's last collection went really mainstream they've struggled to follow it up with equal success.

Best of luck to 'em!

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Review of Marks & Spencer

22 Apr 08, 16:07

Take That were on the ad so it must be good!

If I remember rightly, this M&S is a 'Simply Food' store, that simply sells food, as the name would suggest. M&S food is generally a cut above any other food you can purchase in a supermarket - it's almost as if the food looks at your from the shelves as if to say "be honest, you can't really afford me, can you?" and to be honest, quite often it is right.

There are some foods that I will pay over the odds for, because you can really taste the difference in the quality, but with some of the M&S stuff I don't think it's any different and I'm just paying for the M&S name on the box.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Brick Shirt House

22 Apr 08, 15:56

Shirts galore - as you'd expect!

The name is hilarious. Let's get over that first. Have a good laugh, what a well-written pun, how amusing of them. Finished? Right, can we talk about the shop now? good. They sell a good range of shirts. Big ones, small ones, mans ones, ladies ones, checked ones, stripey ones, posh black tie ones, casual evening out ones. If you're in need of a shirt then here is probably a good place to start. They also sell other belts and a few accessories.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of USC

22 Apr 08, 15:54

no limit to style here

USC sell clothes and lots of them! The only problem I have with USC is not so much a problem, in fact some people would find it an advantage - is that there doesn't seem to be a limit of style - there are literally all kinds of clothes side-by-side, trendy, retro, chic, alternative, sportswear, casual, it's all there.... I also once got a bit confused where the guys section ended and the ladies section began and found myself accidentally looking at ladieswear... Shhh, don't tell anyone!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Bournemouth Eye

22 Apr 08, 15:43

breathtaking views of Bournemouth.

The Bournemouth Eye is a Visterama Balloon that is tethered to the ground, that is slowly raised so you get higher and higher above Bournemouth. When it is fully up you get a fantastic panoramic view across Bournemouth - you can see from Poole and beyond all the way across to the Isle of Wight, and then over towards Southampton in the other direction, the views on a clearly really are breathtaking, however so are the prices, considering you are only up in the air for half an hour or so at more than £10 per person it's a bit over the top, but in summer the tourists love it...

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Review of Moist

22 Apr 08, 15:24

Good quality, but pricey...

Moist is located just inside the Bargate shopping centre and offers a trendy range of clothes with a surfer twist - think of it as a cross between Fat Face and River Island - both of which, funnily enough, are already in Southampton. This could explain why this place is never overly busy, as the clothes are quite pricey for what they are.

They have some good designs which are different to what you find in the major high street chains, but you pay for that individual quality.

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Review of Topshop

22 Apr 08, 15:22

trying too hard?

Girls love Topshop, and all the guys love Topman upstairs too. I've never really been a big fan of the Topman range - occasionally I'll find something I like, but I find it tries a bit too hard to be trendy and fails, where the likes of River Island succeed. Though the girls stuff down in Topshop remains popular with the trendy and their friends. Price-wise it's pretty much what you'd expect for a high-street store - it's not cheap but you get what you pay for really...

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Review of T K Maxx

22 Apr 08, 15:20

cheap or not, I can't decide!

TK Maxx - I've never been quite sure whether this store is meant to be selling reasonably clothes cheaply, or quality clothes at reasonable prices... And browsing through the rails I'm still not sure...

Some of the stuff is really good and although it is cheaper than you'd pay for it in a brand store, it still is quite expensive for what it is, and I'm always reluctant to pay so much for an item in a discount store!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Primark

22 Apr 08, 14:46

busy but worth it...

Birmingham's Primark is suitably massive, as the city centre demands, and this means it attracts a LOT of people. This means that the place is always really busy, and when you're shopping in somewhere that busy it's difficult to put everywhere back where you found it. So stuff generally gets left in a right mess, which means the best time to properly hunt out some bargains here is early in the morning.

If you do all that, you stand a decent chance of finding the good stuff, and it is there - don't be fooled by the rubbish stuff... Oh, and expect to spend about 20 minutes queueing to pay.

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Review of Ampthill Libraries

22 Apr 08, 14:04

books books books and some books.

Let's be honest you're not going to find that book you've been hunting all round the country for here - you're going to find a fairly standardised set of books. To be fair, they do have quite a good selection, allbeit dusty in parts. And if libraries are your thing there are frequent events held here so there's really something for everyone.

Word of warning - make sure you bring your books back on time, nobody likes getting fines, especially for books...

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Review of Clinton Cards

21 Apr 08, 17:06

Nice enough card shop...

If you couldn't find anything in the Clinton's Cards two minutes down the road then let's be hoest, you're not likely to find anything here either because the two card stores are pretty much the same. They both sell cards and have a large range of gift ideas. The only noteable difference would be that being inside West Quay makes this one a) more popular, and b) somehow feel less tacky. It's a question of perception I think... Nice enough place to get a card!

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Review of Clinton Cards

21 Apr 08, 17:05

Cards and birthday ideas galore...

Inside the newly invigorated Mall Marlands, Clintons sell more than just cards, you can also get a giant teddy bear, or a mug bearing the name of your friend or relative which is very classy and ideal if you've totally forgotten it's their birthday, and you've nipped out on your lunchbreak with only minutes left to find them a present. Not that I have ever done this. No sir, not me, nope. Well, maybe once or twice...

The prices aren't cheap, considering a card is still just a bit of paper folded in half, but I think that is the greetings card 'industry' in general, rather than just Clintons...

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Wightlink Group

21 Apr 08, 17:01

Ferry cross the Solent...

Wightlink Ferries go all the way from Portsmouth to the Isle Of Wight. It would literally take at least half an hour to swim across. It takes the ferry longer.

The Wightlink Ferries are very reliable - more so than the hovercraft which is frequently suspended due to high winds, but the ferries have seen better days. That said, you're only going to the Isle Of Wight, did you really expect a duty free shop?! There is a bar and cafe on board that does a mean cooked breakfast if you're early/hungover enough.

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Review of Mood

21 Apr 08, 15:03

I wouldn't pay to get in...

… although I’m not entirely sure that they ever charge these days.

It’s a fairly average bar/club with on big room. Drinks are ok. It’s another place to add to the list for a pub crawl I guess, but with Oceana just around the corner, why bother going here?!

It’s not awful, just nothing special.

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Review of The Moon Under Water

21 Apr 08, 14:43

Spoon-standard

Another one of the four spooners in MK – this one isn’t a Lloyds bar though, so music and flashing lights are replaced by the sounds of conversations and the faint glow of the exit sign.

Probably my least favourite Weatherspoons in the city, it’s fine for a cheap meal and a couple of pints of cold beer.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Revolution Bar

21 Apr 08, 14:20

Nice for a quiet one...

… but just the one, unless you plan to re-mortgage.

Well located for an after-work beer (if you work in central MK) and normally fairly buzzing with a good quality clientele, the riff-raff don’t get past the doormen, I guess!

They have a tapas-style menu offering, which is good if your with friends, but if (like me) you’re a bit of a loner, can get expensive quickly!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Odeon Cinema

21 Apr 08, 13:48

old cinema, now used as a... cinema!

This is the old ABC cinema in Bournemouth which got sold off to the Odeon who now use all the screens here. It is just an extension of the one up the road basically but is nice enough. Some of the rooms need a lick of paint but hey, when the film starts it goes dark anyway!!!

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Review of Odeon Cinema

21 Apr 08, 13:26

So many screens...!

Gone are the days when you go to "the" cinema - this Odeon has a ridiculous number of screens, and is if they weren't enough on their own they for some reason decided that the old ABC cinema down the road should also be an Odeon, so they use those screens too.

It means if there's a film out, it's probably showing here. The screens vary in size from a room the size of the Sydney Opera House (nearly), to the size of your kitchen. They're all fairly comfy, although some could do with a bit of modernisation.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Pizza Hut

20 Apr 08, 22:01

popular with students

This Pizza Hut is right in the middle of the student area of Southampton and so is incredibly popular with students who just can't keep away from the buffet lunch. It is also for the most part staffed by the aforementioned students which means in the summer months you do wonder how the place keeps going with neither customers nor staff, but somehow they do!

Busy at lunchtimes, a little less so in the evenings.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of B & Q

20 Apr 08, 19:29

If I had a hammer... I'd buy nails for it here.

This store is just down from Christchurch High Street and offers a great range of products for home and garden, both for DIY home improvements and just little things that might spruce up your place a bit. This place has been here practically since the beginning of time and still gets really busy at weekends - the car park is only fairly small, and also a really odd shape so if you get stuck behind a pensioner (and being Christchurch there are a few of them..) you might be there a while trying to find a space.

Once you're in it's all good though, friendly staff and easy to find what you want thanks to the massive signs hanging from the ceiling.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Homebase

20 Apr 08, 19:15

Your average DIY store!

Situated on this only-just-out-of-town retail park, this Homebase is a good choice for DIY-ers because it is closer to most of the housing in town than the B&Q! It has a good range of everything from paint to pot plants, drill-bits to drain covers. The staff have been pretty useless on occasions though when asking any specialist questions it becomes clear they don't really know what they're talking about, but if you just need a paint brush then you'll be fine.

0 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Waitrose

19 Apr 08, 17:23

Making West Quay better...

Waitrose makes the whole of West Quay feel classier. It makes you want to go in because you'll feel like a better person afterwards. There is also a big rumour that they nearly weren't in West Quay at all because the centre management were worried about the trollies damaging the floor. I think the floor should consider itself lucky to have been graced by the wheels of a Waitrose trolley. I bought some "Apple Yum-Yums" from here once, and they were delicious. Go on, try them!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Somerfield Stores

19 Apr 08, 17:08

bread, milk, cheese, all sold here!

This Somerfield is ideal for one or two 'bits' when you can't quite be bothered to go to a proper supermarket. They do all your staples and you'll find one or two people who use this as their regular weekly supermarket, but on the whole it is just frequented by people who've run out of milk, and as such it does its job.

Their delivery lorries always park on the bus stop directly outside, which mean the buses have to double park, which means the whole high street can't move, so I wish they wouldn't...

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Iceland

19 Apr 08, 17:06

I wish mums didn't go to Iceland quite so much...

"That's why mums go to Iceland", and boy, do mums go here. The problem is they're the wrong type of mums. Tearing round Iceland picking up a few bits is a fairly dangerous task, because you have to not run over any wild children with your trolley, else you risk the wrath of the mother who is three times the size of you, and even if you do avoid the children she'll still probably scowl at you for no real reason.

Yuck.

Though their frozen deals in summer are REALLY handy for the ole' barbeque!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Tesco Stores

19 Apr 08, 17:03

Tesco Extra - now with added petrol station!

This is a little Tesco Extra store with its own petrol station. It is very handy for those living close by, as the only other supermarkets within walking distance is a Waitrose (for the overly posh) and a Aldi (for the overly poor!) so it's a perfect middle-ground choice.

Don't expect to find a huge range of stuff in here, but it's got all your essentials - milk, cheese, chocolate, ready meals, pizzas, pringles. That sounds like my weekly shopping list pretty much.

This store also has a FREE cash machine outside.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Moon In The Square

19 Apr 08, 17:00

huge central Wetherspoons pub

A massive pub right in the middle of Bournemouth, it's a Wetherspoons so it's cheap and cheerful, does food, has a little garden bit that's lovely in summer, is it any wonder it's popular?! It's always been busy whenever I've been in, but I've never had trouble getting served at the bar.

It gets ridiculously crowded on Friday/Saturday nights, so it's definitely not one for the claustraphobic!!!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Waitrose

19 Apr 08, 16:47

Good food for the people of Twickenham!

Waitrose is the supermarket that the lovely folk of Twickenham deeply deserve. There are lesser supermarkets in the area, but why would you want to be seen anywhere other than Waitrose?! As the rule of thumb goes, if you can afford to live in Twickenham, then you can afford to shop at Waitrose, and this seems to be true. It is always busy with the good and the looks-good buying up stacks of posh-looking food, and good on them I say!

"Pick up a bite to eat from Waitrose will you George, Tarquin's got polo practice at two...."

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Nationwide

19 Apr 08, 16:37

Small branch of the popular building society.

This small branch of Nationwide is located on Twickenham's main shopping street, as with most of the building society's other branches in major towns.

The staff at this branch have always been helpful whenever I've been in, although it does only have a maximum of three staff serving at a time (usually it is two), so if the person in front of you wants to rearrange their life savings and discuss repayments, missed payments interest payments and downpayments you might be waiting a while, though when you do get served they usually apologise for the wait! Just what the good folk of Twickenham deserve.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Kempston Library

18 Apr 08, 17:38

Average small-town library

Kempston Library is the best collection of books you will find. In Kempston.

For this suburb of Bedford then Kempston Library is quite adequate for it's residents' needs but it's nothing superb...

If you're after some essential reading you'll probably find it here, but dont' expect anything slightly more obscure because they won't have it.

Just a thought, does anyone still read books?

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Starbucks

18 Apr 08, 17:16

Coffee has never tasted so expensive...

This Starbucks is located at the busy West Quay retail park, and so is ideally located to let all those stressed folk relax with a coffee and watch everyone else get wound up by all the other people hunting for a new wardrobe.

Starbucks prices are more than I've ever paid for a coffee elsewhere, but I guess the coffee was also superior. I closed my eyes and thought for one brief moment I was on the set of Friends. But then I opened my eyes and remembered I was in a shopping centre in Southampton. We can all dream.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Starbucks

18 Apr 08, 17:12

Fancy a coffee break whilst shopping?

One of two Starbucks outlets in Southampton town centre, because there's nothing worse than having to go shopping and not being able to stop for a coffee or a mochachocafloccha with extra chocobits or whatever it's called. It gets quite busy because it's just outside the Mall Marlands shopping centre, but the queue does move quite quickly which is a good thing.

They once got my order wrong but once I pointed it out they changed it without any fuss and apologised...

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Waterstones Booksellers

18 Apr 08, 16:43

books of a medical nature.

If you're coming in for an op, you might need something to read during your recovery period, so if it accidentally slipped your mind beforehand, then fear not because this a handy bookseller on-site! Result!

It is, however, mainly used by medical students so expect to find lots of them browsing the all important journals and like.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Waterstones Booksellers

18 Apr 08, 16:39

University-based bookshop...

This small branch of Waterstones is located on the main University of Southampton campus and contains essential course books so you'll usually find a few people posing as hard-working students trying to locate that all important book they're after. Though of course the real hard-working students are too hard-working to visit a bookshop and can be found in the library instead, but nice try...

This store is also primarily staffed by students, so they know what other students are all about.

Also suitable for locals.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Marks & Spencer

18 Apr 08, 16:32

Not nearly as arousing as the adverts make out...

I used to be addicted to the food at this M&S when I used to work near here because I told myself that eating expensively is the same thing as eating healthily. It isn't.

I can't really vouch for anything except the food here, but I do remember walking past loads of clothes to get to the checkout, I'll be honest, they were mostly old people browsing the rails...

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of JJB Sports

18 Apr 08, 14:49

not as good as the town-central one...

This JJB Sports is on an out-of-town retail park, so the whole store feels a bit like a massive warehouse. This store also sells bikes and gym equipment which the town cenre store doesn't. Sadly you can be left around waiting for a while as the staff always seem busy or reluctant to help whenever I've needed anything...

It's alright I suppose but I wouldn't go all the way out to this one if I could pick up something in town...

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of South West Trains

18 Apr 08, 14:36

if you need to get a train - these guys can help!

South West Trains seem to be one of the more expensive train companies in the country, but at least their trains are also of a really good standard and for the most part they are usually on time. If you ever find yourself in Southampton, but would rather be in London or even more bizarrely Weymouth then these lovely folk can help.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Tie Rack

18 Apr 08, 14:29

In need of a tie?

What is a guy to do when he is in urgent need of a tie?! That's right, you COULD go to any high street store and browse the large selection of ties amongst the more and less formal clothes also on sale, but it would surely be more fun to go to a shop that JUST sells ties, right?! Well I'm afraid that is out of the window too, because Tie Rack don't just sell times anymore, they sell some hats and scarves and gloves and things. Keep living the dream...

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Burton

18 Apr 08, 14:12

good range of menswear...

This branch of Burtons is in West Quay, upstairs from Miss Selfridge and another woman's place I forget the name of, which means your other half can look around downstairs while you browse the men's stuff upstairs! The only downside of this plan is that while you can take the escalator up from the front of the store, the only way out is by walking through the aforementioned ladies shops!

They've got a fairly large range of formalwear as well as casual stuff plus I THINK they still offer student discount, which is handy... if you're a student.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Montserrat Menswear

18 Apr 08, 14:00

Not as pretentious as the name makes out!

Despite the name this place isn't really as pretentious as it tries to make out and their range is actually pretty good. I've only ever bought a couple of things in there and they were probably a bit on the dear side, but hey everyone likes to treat themselves once in a while don't they?!!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Hovertravel

17 Apr 08, 17:36

Isle Of Wight hovercraft terminal...

This is Hovertravel's Ryde terminal on the Isle Of Wight. You'll have to bear with the staff if you need anything because they do have a tendancy to work at their own pace, which is "Island Pace" but they get there eventually. There are usually plenty of taxis outside the terminal to take you wherever you need to go. The terminal itself has seen better days much like the mainland one, but the hovercraft themselves are fine and speedy.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Hovertravel

17 Apr 08, 17:31

mainland hovercraft terminal

This is the terminal for Hovertravel on the mainland in Portsmouth. The staff are always really helpful if you ever have a problem. The terminal itself is really shabby, but hey, you're not going to be there long because you'll soon be onboard a Hovercraft, Isle Of Wight-bound!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Odeon Cinema

17 Apr 08, 17:26

Bog-standard Odeon!

You know what you get with an Odeon: a multi-screen cinema with the famous Orange Wednesdays - getting you two cinema tickets for the price of one if you have an Orange phone... Thing is it's so popular it's not worth going to the cinema on a Wednesday unless you plan HOURS in advance!

This cinema is quite nice, but it's at Leisure World which tends to be a bit, umm, frequented by youths in tracksuits, but avoid those and you'll have a lovely time.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Starbucks

17 Apr 08, 17:03

coffee and a cake, why not?!

Whenever I was in the need for a coffee whilst working near here Starbucks was always the first place I thought of, however it was the 2nd place I visited - that was because my first port of call was always the coffee machine at work, but more often than not it was broken, so Starbucks it was...

Because there's lots of businesses nearby it gets busy at lunchtimes but at least you are always served a coffee with a smile.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Mercia

17 Apr 08, 16:56

Today's Best Mix

Mercia plays today's best mix. But what does today's best mix actually mean?

It means the greatest hits from then...

... and the best songs from now.

All mixed up in a radio-smoothie.

If variety is the spice of life, then I think it would be fair to say that Merica certainly likes life spicey.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Burton Menswear

17 Apr 08, 16:54

good clothing range...

Burtons do a range of clothing and accessories with everything from belts to hats, half of the clothing section is kind of fashionable stuff then the rest is suits and formalwear.

Always the first place I go when looking for something smart because the prices are pretty much spot on and the quality is great.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of TK Maxx

17 Apr 08, 16:40

pick up a bargain...

TK Maxx is one of those stores that buy in old stock from other places and flog it on cheaper so if you're prepared to hunt through the rails there are bargains-a-plenty here. The only problem with that is the type of people that a "bargains-a-plenty"-type store attracts... I once had a confrontation with a lady in the doorway about whether it was the entrance or exit to the shop. It was in fact both, but hey, who needs manners when you've got a bargain under your arm?!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.