P Walsh and Son, Withington, Manchester

I have used Walsh DIY for years and have always been impressed with their range of stock. The shop has loads of back rooms with everything from door knockers to picture wire. Many of the products are a good deal cheaper than you find in B&Q, sometimes so much cheaper that it makes you wonder at B&Q's morals! The customer service is great, they will always help you find what you need. They stock a decent range of paints and undercoats etc. Always worth considering a visit if you are doing fixing, diy or gardening.

Absolute gem of a DIY shop in Withington. I say that because I’m constantly amazed at the seemingly old fashioned type of customer service so evident here. I’ve been given items half price because they hadn’t stocked products with my intended budget (in the case of a garden spade). If you just want a tiny pack of screws then you’ll have their attention as though you were spending hundreds in there. The outside of the shop clearly gives away the type of wares they deal in here, but once inside you in those special tardis like places, chock full to the brim with thousands of products.
If you’re tacking a bit of DIY yourself (and some of the more trickier tasks) then they’‘ll unreservedly provide you with advice on what to buy and indeed how best to get on with it. Try that in the large DIY out of town sheds and if you: a) find an assistant b) find someone who knows what they’re talking about and can be bothered to give advice then count yourself lucky.
I rarely go the latter places any more – Walsh’s pretty much stocks everything from electrical tools to ladders and sandpaper to work wear. The website is very extensive also.
Next time, if you live in the area and are off to B & Q, try here first. If they don’t stock certain items they they’re are other similar businesses in the area that do (builders merchants as an example).