lizza's Qype profile

This shop is a treasure trove of fancy dress outfits (and more you can order from a catalogue), hen do accessories, wigs, costume jewellery, bright hair dyes, hair accessories, tutus, braces, festival-type wellies and umbrellas.  There are even waterproof coats, high vis jackets, socks, boxers and much more.

The rear of the shop is packed with more bags than you can shake a stick at!!  Everything from handbags, luggage to school bags... including some cute Cath Kidson-esque bags I've got my eye on!

It's one of those shops that once you step inside you find all sorts of things you never knew you needed!!  It seems to sell a bit of everything and each season the owner brings in more lines... at the moment woolly hats and gloves are arriving.

It's a shame the shabby exterior - with goods sprawling all over the pavement - belies what actually lies inside.  It's difficult to describe the weird and wonderful array of goods this shop stocks, so you'll just have to visit to see for yourself!  

It would be a great place to try if you're trying to track down a fancy dress outfit, back-to-school things or 'alternative' fashion accessories.

This is a great convenience store packed with over 10,000 lines! But their real selling point is their fabulous selection of world foods.

They’ve recently started stocking lines from the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand, along with an array of more commonly found Indian, Caribbean and Oriental foods.

I love stocking up on basics like bags of rice and coconut milk, but then can’t help being tempted with all manner of authentic spices, pastes and snacks. Options is perfect for all those foodies out there hunting down that elusive ingredient for some recipe or other!

It’s on Northfield high street, so really central. Plus if you spend over £50, they offer free delivery. Perfect for doing your shopping in your lunch hour and having it delivered that evening, or just to save your arms lugging your goodies home! Also they’re open late into the evening when parking outside’s really easy.

Plus the couple who run it are so lovely and enthusiastic, it’s infectious!

A true gem!

October ’12 – edited to add that Options has now opened a mini supermarket opposite in the former job centre building. Even more goodies!

This is a hidden surprise, tucked behind Northfield Shopping Centre. There are tennis courts, multi-use games area and children's play area, plus lots of open space. A local kids football team also use the grass pitch to train at the weekend.

It's perfect for taking the kids to play on those sunny days or escaping for a change of scenery in your lunch hour as it's just a stone's throw from the high street.

I'm sure there are lots of people who don't even know it's there as it can be a little hard to find, especially from the town centre. There's an entrance halfway down Church Road (with parking) or you can walk through Northfield Shopping Centre and go through the exit next to The Fragrance Shop. There are other entrances on the other roads that surround the park.

The pub looks impressive from the outside and they've done an equally fantastic job of refurbishing inside.

Amazingly it's actually the largest Wetherspoons in the country, which isn't hard to believe once you've had a wander around. Downstairs there are five different seating areas, and there's more seating and and a private conference room upstairs.

As with all Wetherspoons they offer excellent value and a great selection of drinks and pub food, along with special nights such as steak night and curry night.

Outside most certainly hasn't been forgotten either, it's has been transformed with a beer garden and immaculate private bowling green.

I'm a great fan of the shopping centre as it's on my doorstep and, although the stores might not be massive, the 50 shops (including many high street chains) are ideal for my everyday needs.

There are a number of clothes shops including Peacocks (loving their Pearl Lowe dresses!), Select, Bon Marche, New Look, Dorothy Perkins as well as some bargain shops.

The centre's also home to Poundland & Bodycare for more bargains; WHSmith and Rymans for stationery; card shops and a perfume shop for special occasions; a butchers and greengrocers for fresh food; and Greggs and Firkins for a well-earned pit stop.

Not forgetting homeware stores, shoe shops, mobile phone shops, a bank, Thomas Cook travel agent and Superdrug... there's even a pet shop, brow bar and cobblers!

Iceland's always very popular (thanks to its home delivery service that saves you from having to lug your bags home), as is Wilkinsons, and both stay open until 6pm Monday to Saturday.

This is a local shopping centre, at the heart of Northfield, with over 600 car parking spaces. There are also bus stops outside, with buses to nearby areas such as Weoley Castle, Longbridge, Bartley Green, Bournville and Kings Norton as well as other parts of Northfield.

It used to be called the Grosvenor Shopping Centre but changed its name to Northfield Shopping Centre in 2005, although locally many people still call it 'The Grosvenor'.

This branch has just undergone a refurbishment - it looks so much fresher and somehow stocks wider product ranges while still appearing spacious!

Wilkinsons offers excellent value-for-money and a large range of home, garden, cleaning, DIY, stationery, beauty, food and seasonal products. You can always rely on them whether you need a new lampshade, bin bags, plastic storage boxes, shower gel or you're just feeling peckish!

The new layout is very shopper-friendly with wide aisles and all the aisles/departments well signed, which makes it so much easier to locate what you need in what is a pretty big store.

You can also order items in-store from the Wilkinson Plus catalogue that stocks even more products.

The store's in Northfield Shopping Centre (formerly the Grosvenor Shopping Centre), which has over 600 car parking spaces, at the heart of Northfield itself, which is easily reached by quite a few bus services.

The store's open from 8am - 6pm Monday to Saturday, which is ideal for people who work 9 'til 5 (and longer than most of the other stores in the shopping centre except Iceland).

With such a large product range, Wilkinsons is the jewel in the shopping centre's (and Northfield's) crown.

I love a good Home Bargains and this store on Northfield's main high street is no exception with lots of (often branded) products at low prices.

It does exactly what it says on the tin, selling an excellent range of home bargains including cleaning products, kitchenware, home furnishings, stationery, food, sweets, beauty products, toys and baby items.

They always seem to stock a great range of seasonal items too, including Halloween or Christmas goods.

Beware though, if you find something it's worth snapping it up there and then as their stock changes regularly and they might not stock it again. But on the up-side, if you visit regularly you'll always find new things!

I'm always popping in to look for deals on basics like shampoo/conditioner and cleaning items, rather than pay higher prices elsewhere. It's a store definitely worth checking out if you want to bag yourself a bargain!

Rambling antiques centre packed with all sorts of goodies from bric-a-brac to books. There is so much stuff they've had to expand into container units out the back!

I often have a leisurely trip out here and finish with a visit to their lovely licensed tea rooms, with seating indoors and in the gardens. The tea rooms seem popular with shoppers, cyclists and people visiting just to sample their snacks, drinks and delicious homemade hot meals.

Located near the village of Shenton off the A444, not far off the A5 (near Atherstone/Twycross).

I love this place - it's by far my favourite curry house. The food is outstanding - authentic and bursting with flavour.

We went here for our work Christmas party in December and virtually everyone has gone back with their own families/partners already... quite impressive seeing as a lot of the blokes are not usually easily impressed!

The decor is modern, but not too formal, and has a black, white and red colour theme. The restaurant's not licensed so we just took our own alcohol.

The service is exceptional... the guys who run it are a great double act and so passionate about their food and sharing that knowledge. I love curries, but have to put my hand up and admit I usually stick to my trusty favourite dishes! The chef asked each of us how hot we wanted our meals and a few other questions about what we liked, then suggested what we each should try.

Twenty minutes later I was presented with what I can safely say is my new favourite curry (unfortunately I can't remember its name)... until I go back next time and try another one!

They've got a packed menu with loads of the usual dishes as well as lesser-known authentic ones. They cook all their food to order and get deliveries every other day, so the food's fresh, and you can definitely taste the difference!

The food's amazing value - I think it's £7.95 during the week and £8.95 at weekends. They also do buffets, which I think are on Mondays and Thursdays.

The restaurant's open every evening and they also offer a collection and local delivery service. It's opposite Aldi on the main high street in Northfield - there's plenty of on street parking nearby and there's a car park behind the market, plus it's near a couple of bus stops.

It can be a bit difficult to spot as it's on the first floor, but just look out for the red front door and the lit-up red signs saying 'Chutney Lounge'.

If you want tasty Indian food at a great price, check this place out... I'll probably see you in there!