Ian's reviews
Review of Chicken Shop
11 May 08, 15:12
Chicken Specialists 
Not the most imaginative name for a take away but the chicken shop does exactly what it says on the sign - good quality chicken in southern style coating served quickly and with good standards of service and hygiene. You will not be disappointed if you keep your expectations low.
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Review of Saddle Shop
11 May 08, 15:11
For Horses
If you go riding you need somewhere to buy saddles, riding hats, and all the stuff that horse riders need like stirrups etc. This is the perfect shop because they make it their specialism to offer these items and they are very friendly and helpful.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Cairnzias Take Away Food Shops
11 May 08, 15:10
Take Away Some Yumminess
If you're addicted to pizza like me then this is somewhere that does seriously good quality pizzas - fresh bases and hand rolled dough with some juicy fresh toppings - check out the meat feast - it's to die for! But you wont die from it cos the hygiene is excellent here!
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Review of Top Crust Sandwich Shop
11 May 08, 15:00
Top Crust
This is a decnt sarnie shop although the choice of fillings may be a bit limited for some people I managed to find plenty of tempting ideas for my lunch but went for a plough mans sand wich in the end which was very nice with tangy pickle and the cheese was good and strong.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Erringtons Barbar Shop
11 May 08, 14:45
Be Ready To Queue
I had to wait 15 minutes to be seen in this hair dressing shop which is normally longer than I am willing to wait and when I sat down they said my hair was too short to give me a hair cut. So I left without getting my hair cut. Disappointing.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Body Shop
11 May 08, 14:33
Fair Branch of Body Shop
This is my favourite chain and I have visited many of their branches. In this one the products were slightly less well stocked however the staff were very welcoming and seemed to understand what they were selling when I asked them some specialist questions.
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Review of The Orange Shop
11 May 08, 14:30
Fine If You Want To Be Orange
The Future is Orange they promise and while they offer some great benefits like orange wednesdays where all the cinema tickets are 2 for 1 and the queues are 10 times as long.. they dont always do the best prices. If you have decided though go for it.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Paper Mill Shop
11 May 08, 14:29
Everything Paper
If you're not sure what to expect get out an old envelope and on the back of it write a list of everything you can think of that's made of paper and that will be what they stock in this store.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Thomson Travel Shop
11 May 08, 14:20
As You'd Expect
This is a modest branch of Thomson who will be happy to help you find the right holiday - some good offers and I find the last minute deals to be a very good way to save money especially if you dont mind particularly where you go
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Take 1 Sandwich Shop
11 May 08, 14:14
Take A Bite
The sandwiches here were OK but nothing special, and I was disappointed by the amount of content in my sandwich which had all been placed along the middle so it looked full when in the display case.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Arc Charity Shop
11 May 08, 14:06
Cheap Charity
I wasnt particularly engaged by the charity so I couldnt find any good reason to part with my hard earned cash on this shop because there was nothing that I wanted to buy in here. Normally I would buy something anyway and just throw it away or give it to a different charity shop just to help the charity but not here.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Massarella's Coffee Shops
11 May 08, 14:03
Not Exactly Starbucks
This place was probably 'acceptable in the eighties' but now a days with the advent of your starbucks et al it jut doesnt cut the mustard. You ont find the variety or quality of choices you are used to and will be left a bit disappointed I'm afraid
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Stype Fashion Shops
07 May 08, 22:11
First For Style?
I would not recommend this place as somewhere to shop if style is important to you because their stock is second rate at best and they dont seem to have the range that I would expect from this sort of store.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Orange Retail Shops
07 May 08, 21:34
Reasonable Service
Slightly pushy staff however they seemed to know what they were talking about and didnt put too much pressure on me, however maybe if they had tried a little harder they would have possibly made a sale! Nice enough shop though.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Orange Retail Shops
07 May 08, 21:13
Limited Network Choice
If you prefer to have a choice of networks you will find better service else where. However as a mobile phone shop this place is well stocked and also the staff seem to know what they are talking about so you can get some good advice here.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of One World Shop
07 May 08, 21:05
Global Gifts
Some fab ideas here for presents with an earth conscious theme, including some authentic looking hand made items from across the globe however its hard to know how genuine all this stuff actually is.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Symons Pet Shop
07 May 08, 21:04
Animal Magic
This is a brilliant local pet shop where they have all sorts of weird and wonderful pets for sale from hamsters to gerbils and everything in between. They take good care of the animals and they all look healthy and happy and they also stock cages and food.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Spar Ncle Spar Shops
07 May 08, 20:29
Cheap Supermarket
The prices are as low as you could get but dont expect the quality to be up there - it's food for people on a budget who dont have the luxury of worrying about the standard of what they eat.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Gosforth Park Farm Shop
07 May 08, 20:26
Fresh From The Farm
They do the freshest food here because it's literally been grown on the site so you will get the yummiest veg and some crisp and juicy fruit. Definitely recommend it to anyone who likes quality fresh food.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Bowers Fish Shop
07 May 08, 20:00
Fishy
There's nothing unsavoury about this chippy - in fact uit the opposite with a fine selection of fish and indeed chips complete with a warm Geordie welcome and free wooden forks - it's everything a chippy shop should be - they even put the chips in a bap for a Chip Butty - a local favourite!
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Review of First Mortgage Shop
06 May 08, 00:55
Impartial
I love getting advice that's unbiased so this mortgage broker was a breath of fresh air. They assessed my needs and gave me some really good advice that was right for me. Friendly, professional and definitely recommended.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of First Mortgage Shop
06 May 08, 00:48
Good for comparing
This mortgage broker will compare the market and help you find the best deal for your mortgage whether you want an investment backed or repayment mortgage. They are friendly and helpful and answer your questions with a straight face.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Bethany Shop
06 May 08, 00:38
Help Bethany
Bethany is a local charity in Edinburgh which is a good enough reason for me to frequent this shop. They sell a lot of random things from clothes to books and games, some as cheap and 20p or even 15p. So you would be crazy not to buy something even if you didnt think you wanted it.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Visualise Charity Shops
06 May 08, 00:33
Good Cause And Quite Cheap
The prices are low, but you are unlikely to find anything you want in here. I'm sure it's a good cause but I didnt stay in this shop for long becuase there was unfortunately nothing in there that I wanted to buy, and it had a strange musky smell.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Newington Coffee Shop
06 May 08, 00:25
Nice for a quiet cuppa
If you just want a cup of coffee and you cant be bothered with all that star bucks nonsense this is a great little coffee shop which does great tasting cuppas without the great big price tags or pointless whipped cream and calories on top!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Mackintosh's Barber Shop
06 May 08, 00:23
Hair Brained Scheme
It's nothing unusual until you get inside and then you realise that there is something a little unusual about this place. It's a little bit too tidy and the magazines dont look like anyone has read them before. That was enough to warn me not to get my hair cut here and I walked straight out again with no explanation. I suggest you do the same.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Charity Shop
06 May 08, 00:06
What Charity Exactly
The charity that this shop helps is not immediately obvious however if it's for charity thats good enough for me. I bough a nice knitted jumper from here. It smelt slightly but a wash soon got rid of most of the smell, and I found the staff to be helpful and open minded.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Our Dynamic Earth Gift Shop
06 May 08, 00:04
Dynamic?
This store has loads of random earthy stuff like bongo drums and weird little statues which would go well in your house if this is your style but I couldnt find anything that caught my eye im afraid.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Larrys Barber Shop
05 May 08, 23:59
Average Haircuts
Even though they are in Scotland the quality of the haircuts here is no better than in England I'm afraid. My haircut was mediocre to say the least and I wont be returning here. Sorry, Larry.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Number Shop
05 May 08, 23:56
Adult Education
This is a place where you can find out about all sorts of courses and opportunities for adults to learn in the city of Edinburgh.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Perfume Shop
05 May 08, 23:28
Smellies
Good range of perfumes however I found the prices in this branch to be rather high and they did not have any testers out so it was awkward asking to smell the perfumes before buying thats why I walked back out again.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Orange Shop
05 May 08, 23:27
Limited Choice
If you are sure you want a phone on Orange you could go here but otherwise you will be missing out on the possibility of a better deal on another network so I would recommend shopping around before coming to this shop. They have some good offers in the window though.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Balmyra Take Away Food Shops
05 May 08, 23:25
Not traditional
If you're looking for lovely traditional Scottish food then this wont really be top of your list - it's just a fast food shop really and they dont do haggis or any special traditional Scottish food so I walked back out again. Sure their food is probably nice though,
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Review of Edinburgh Copy Shop
05 May 08, 23:24
Photocopies A Speciality
Its hard to rate a copy shop. They do a good job of photocopying stuff and they are quite cheap, thats about all I can say but at least the staff were helpful and they were all local and Scottish which was nice.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Ross Cook Shop
05 May 08, 23:15
Pans And Pots
Quality pots and pans in this store including some heavy duty steel and ceramic cookware. High quality and reasonable prices but this stuff is never cheap. Be warned, some of their pots are really heavy so if like me you are walking round Edinburgh on a day trip you shouldnt buy a big steel cooking pan because it will be a nightmare to carry.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Sajan Take Away Food Shops
05 May 08, 22:49
Tasty Takeaway
If you'd like to experience something a little bit different I would recommend a visit to this take away establishment. They do a fantastic burger and chips here with really nice fried onions and the staff are cheeky and friendly.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Timperly Barbers Shop
05 May 08, 22:28
Professional and clean
This is a nice clean friendly barbers who did a decent job on my haircut, however the standard of conversation was rather superficial - we just talked about the weather really. No reason why I wouldnt come back. But also, no reason why I would.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Ka's Take Away Food Shops
05 May 08, 22:25
Tasty
No idea why this is named after the Ford Ka but they certainly know how to put on some good nosh - check out the hawaiian burger for a deliciously different taste sensation.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Dolphin Chip Shop
05 May 08, 22:13
Ocean Fresh
I couldnt really see the connection between fish and chips and dolphins but I guess if dolphins eat fish, they would enjoy a takeaway as much as their human sisters. This is somewhere that does a really nice cod and chips and great service.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Clarks Shop
05 May 08, 21:59
Traditional Shoes
I grew up in Clarks shoes. My mum said they were the only shoe shop who fitted you with the shoes properly so they didnt damage your feet, and I have to say my feet are now in excellent condition. I would not dream of buying shoes from here nowadays though because I feel I have moved on into a new age of style and fashion which mister clark can not keep up with.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Yiannis Chip Shop
05 May 08, 21:47
Chippylicious
This is a chippy that specialises in nothing at all. They just do normal fish and chips! But its pretty nice food though and they know what they are doing. They even battered a mars bar for me a few years ago!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Job Shop
05 May 08, 21:46
Average Job Shop
This is a pretty run of the mill job centre, you wont be surprised in any way. Long queues if you go at the wrong time of day, a pretty depressing selection of jobs on the boards and the staff seem unconcerned and uninvolved and probably dislike being there as much as you do!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Peel Park Coffee Shop
05 May 08, 21:44
Average Coffee Shop
This is just a pretty normal coffee shop - they do a nice cuppa, nothing fancy like starbucks and its friendly and very welcoming. You should definitely check out their carrot cake as well - it's seriously wowzer
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Farm Shop M/CR
05 May 08, 21:33
Farm Fresh Food
They do great food here and its all fresh off the farm so you cant get fresher - for real! Really nice fresh vegetables and some juicy fruit too - it's great stuff. Enjoy.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Mortgage Shop
05 May 08, 21:20
Not the cheapest
If you want a mortgage they are a brokers who will find you a good deal supposedly however I found that my building society offered a better interest rate than they could get.. so I'd recommend checking at your bank first then see if they can beat what you're offered.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Red House Farm Shop & Tea Rooms
05 May 08, 21:13
Simple farm food
This is a nice little tea room in the red house farm shop where you can have a nice cup of tea and some cake and they have proper old fashioned table cloths and everything; It's very homely and the prices are very reasonable.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Peters Barber Shop
05 May 08, 19:29
Barbaric
This is not a great place to get a brilliant haircut they do the basics ok but nothing fancy in fact they turned my mate's hair green once which was funny for us but she didnt find it particularly amusing.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Print Shop
05 May 08, 18:14
Copy this
They'll copy anything in this handy local copy shop. Well they probably wont copy money. Because that would be forgery and they would probably be closed down. Ideal place, this, if you are looking to get some good quality photocopying done or have something on a disc that needs printing and binding like your dissertation.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Job Shop Pendleton
05 May 08, 18:11
Adequate
This job centre had quite a long queue at the desk and it took them a while to serve me however when they finally did help me they seemed to be genuinely helpful although they didnt give me any useful advice. Selection of jobs on the boards is disappointing though and there's too many people here.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Tower Coffee Shop
05 May 08, 18:09
Hot Coffee
This is a reasonable coffee shop however I found the service to be rather slow and the coffee wasnt up to the standard of the likes of Starbucks. However if you fancy a quick cuppa you wont be disappointed.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Kakon Take Away Food Shops
05 May 08, 18:03
Good for kebabs
Its sometimes hard to find a decent kebab shop - many are a bit dodgy but this one is excellent - nice succulent meat and fresh salad and some nice sauces to go along with your kebabs and the pitta bread is crisp and tasty.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Firft Take Away Food Shops
05 May 08, 17:11
Firfit = Perfect? Nope
This is not the best take away I have frequented but also not the worst so to be fair its pretty average - if you're looking for decent fish and chips you can do worse however I wouldnt recommend anything else from here because its slightly dodgy.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Village Card Shop
05 May 08, 16:54
Local Card Shop
Always nice to shop at a local shop thats not part of a chain and this one is just as good as your hallmark cards and birthdays but its local and they have some really nice cards, many of which wont be the same as everyone's already seen so its a much more personal gift.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Sunbed Shop
05 May 08, 16:38
Tan It Yourself
Imagine owning your own sun bed! You can get one here - and if you work out what you spend on tanning shops this could actually save you money over time - you just have to use the sun bed a lot to get your moneys worth from it! But obviously be sensible because you can damage your skin if you over use them. Dont forget your goggles or you could get cataracts.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of All Aboard Shops
05 May 08, 16:34
Convenient Store
This is a shop on the slope walking up to the train station at Piccadilly and they do a good selection of sandwiches which I always pick for my trip - cheaper than on the train anyway!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Pizza Shop
05 May 08, 16:32
Average Pizzas
There's nothing special about this pizza takeaway. Adequate, but not amazing. The 4 cheese one I had was well cooked but the base was a bit cardboardy however it seems reasonably clean and nice inside.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Pen Shop
05 May 08, 16:23
Exclusively Pens
I should have guessed from the sign above the door but this place is only good if you need to buy a pen! I was hoping for some general stationary but the choice of paper etc is limited. They do however have lots of pens from Biros to fountain pens and some really nice ones that you know would probably just get nicked.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Mcqueens Musical Instrument Repairs
05 May 08, 16:12
Get It Fixed
This is a place that does a fantastic service if you have an instrument and you need to get it fixed. They were reliable and professional when I used them so I would definitely recommend them.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Club Shop
05 May 08, 16:01
Everything for members
Not sure if this place is open to the public but for members of David Lloyd they have a really useful selection of items that you might need during your visit to the club from towels to sports drinks it's all here so look no further.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Fragrance Shop
05 May 08, 16:00
Little Smelly
Great little perfume shop which seems to be priced about the same as larger department stores however the difference is the convenience and its easy to get served here because they never seem to get particularly busy.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of A C Framing Gallery
05 May 08, 15:40
Small but perfectly formed lol
Tiny little art shop certainly nothing like the other gallery shop in the centre MK this one is a lot more about 'posters' rather than expensive prints however they have some nice ones and can order something if its not in stock. Worth a try definitely.. .but check the other gallery if you want something nicer or an original...
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Ann Harvey
05 May 08, 15:15
Great for ladies fashion
This is a perfect place to pick up some seriously fashionable clothes they do a great line in skirts and often have a sale on. I have been dragged around this shop numerous times - it was my ex girlfriend's favourite! And she always looked sweet...
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Ann Summers
05 May 08, 15:12
Smaller than average ;)
This is a pretty small branch of AS but they have a good choice of stuff nevertheless - worth going if you're planning a hen night because they sell the obligatory L Plates, crazy bunny ears and all the other random stuff. Less here for guys though - probably better to find a more specialist store...
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Ann Summers
05 May 08, 15:05
Scares Me Slightly
This place is great if you're in a couple but for single men it can be a bit intimidating - lots of weird and wonderful gadgets and the women in there are very confident it makes you feel a bit weird sometimes. However if you are looking for novelty leatherwear they have a good selection here.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Woolworths
05 May 08, 14:59
Bigger than average!
This Woolies is superbig it's got everything! And at the moment there's a sign outside thats renamed it as WiiWorths cos they are doing offers on Nintendo Wii consoles and games so worth checking out if you're into gaming. God bless em.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Shoe Zone
05 May 08, 14:54
Mediocre Shop Seller
This isnt going to set the world on fire but they do have a reasonable selection of shoes. Better for womeon's shoes to be honest and they didnt have anything I wanted in here however it's clean and tidy and the staff are helpful.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Cyclone Spray Zone
05 May 08, 14:47
Tantastic
Great little tanning shop - grab your paper pants and let them work the magic on you - makes you feel like a work of art being painted when they are spraying you they have such a great attention to detail and they make you feel really comfortable even though you're not in the most dignified position lol
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Shoe Zone
05 May 08, 14:34
Shoe Shop With Limited Choice
I didnt get on with this shop I'm afraid - I was looking for some nice smart going out shoes and I couldnt find anything I liked. It's ok if you like what they have on display but if you're fussy like me you will probably find you need to keep shopping around to find something you really want. Dont settle for second best - that's my philosophy! Shoes are important lol
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.