Alex's reviews
Review of Bath Travel
04 May 08, 14:23
that personal touch... 
One of the friendliest and most helpful travel operators, they used to win award after award for their dedication and in recent years have won the prestigous 'Airline Of The Year' award beating all the major UK operators! Where they go the extra difference is because they are small and independent they can offer that personal touch - the old chairman used to personally despatch every single Bath Travel flight himself from Bournemouth Airport! Which other operator can claim that level of personal service?!
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Review of Specsavers
04 May 08, 12:22
happy and happy to help!
Specsavers are one of the biggest glasses and contact lens retailers. So you would have thought they'd have one national database of customers on computer so that when I moved from one branch to another they'd figure I was the same person, yet I still get 'reminders' from the old branch telling me I haven't had my eyes tested in ten years and that my glasses might be out of date!
The staff at this branch always seem very happy to help, or moreover they just always seem very happy! When I've had to move appointments they've been able to do so. Also when I had a faulty contact lens they told me exactly what to do and replaced it straight away, and when I turned up to collect it guess what greeted me: yep, a happy face once more!
Very happy and efficient people, but can we club together and buy them a new computer so I stop getting out of date reminders?
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Review of Toby Carvery
29 Apr 08, 17:56
hugely popular carvery - always busy, never full!
This place has been here for years yet I only discovered it a couple of years ago... It is HUGE inside - even when the car park is full there's still tables available so you never get turned away, and the carvery option is fantastic - I've never walked away feeling less than full, and the staff are always busy, but happy to help!
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Review of Splinters Restaurants
29 Apr 08, 17:01
a REALLY great venue... 
Splinters is quickly building a local reputation as THE place to go for a really nice meal in a relaxed atmosphere. EVERYTHING here is spot on - the menu, the price, the setting - these guys are heading for success and deservedly so!
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Review of Woolworths
24 Apr 08, 13:01
Service not as good as it should be. 
I remember when I was young my mum having a massive argument with the manager of this store about an offer they had on, I think it was one of those buy two get one free offers or something, either way they were in the wrong and eventually gave us the due discount. Woolworths still has that somewhat 'cheap' feel to the store, even though it's recently been done up and tries to look nice. The staff here aren't overly helpful and always look miserable.
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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.
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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.
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Review of Iceland
22 Apr 08, 16:04
Actually quite good bargains!
Mums go to Iceland because the girl from Atomic Kitten told them to. Everyone else goes to Iceland because actually a lot of their frozen food is really good value for what it is! You can usually pick up exactly the same food that you'd get in Tesco/Sainsburys/Asda at a fraction of the price. Obviously you shouldn't do your whole weekly shop here, because eating entirely frozen is probably not great for your health, but to pick up a few bargains it's a great source.
And there's not a Kerry Katona in sight. Thankfully.
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Review of Bookends Bookshop
22 Apr 08, 16:01
Independent book retailer doing a roaring trade...
Bookends is one of the staples of Christchurch that has seemingly 'bookended' this end of the High Street forever! The staff have a great knowledge and clearly love the literature they sell, they have fascinating displays at certain times of the year, and often have in-store readings and celebrity visists when possible.
You can obviously pick up all the big books of the moment, and if you need to track down something a little more specialist then their advanced computer system can help (though be honest, it is just Amazon they're searching through isn't it??!) Apparantly it's not because a lot of it is cheaper than the aforementioned online store. So there.
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Review of W H Smith
22 Apr 08, 15:59
still going strong despite the internet...!
The long-standing stationary retailer still stands! WH Smith has managed to stay afloat in this world where online rules the roost, so fair play to them for streamlining their stores to make them profitable.
They still sell a huge selection of CDs and DVDs, including special and classical charts, and anything they don't have they can order in for you. They also have a huge range of books - from the latest bestsellers to some of the alltime classics, if you're going away and fancy a paperback to peruse on the plane/train/coach/bus/pedalo then you'll be able to find something here to give a good thumb through.
And that's not to mention the magazines, pens, paper pads, or gift ideas, of which they have lots. In fact, having written this review, it's a miracle how they fit it all in the store!
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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.
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Review of Priory Sports
20 Apr 08, 19:09
Independent sport retailer
The only successful independent sports retailer I have ever seen that has seemingly managed to remain a success, top marks to Priory Sports! Being independent means they stock a different range of products to that you will find anywhere else, and their staff are well trained because it is in the shop's benefit.
Well worth a look if you're fed up of being served elsewhere by a spotty teenager who doesn't know what he's talking about...
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Review of Prezzos Restaurant
16 Apr 08, 16:27
Gorgeous food!
Part of the Prezzo chain, but don't let the fact it's a chain put you off, this place is a superb venue to take someone special for a meal, or the whole family for a special occasion.
The menu is quite upmarket and the prices are not the cheapest in town but the food quality is amazing and the staff are very friendly too!
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Review of The Regent Centre
14 Apr 08, 12:31
A lovely little theatre/cinema!
The Regent Centre is a lovely little place.. It is a theatre but doubles-up as a cinema so there is usually something on!
They usually show the biggest film of the season more often than not it is a family film so the Centre is popular in school holidays, when they run extra screenings.
The volunteer staff are always friendly and more than happy to have a natter so long as there's not a long queue waiting!
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