Homebase

No, for the third time, I don’t want to buy insurance for a set of Christmas lights
Ignorant staff who spend all their day chatting to each other and feel affronted if you interrupt to ask anything

This is a place that I don’t get to frequent a lot, mainly because the lack of a car makes it a bit tricky to transport various DIY and garden stuff. There is always the taxi option, but it’s not one I’m fond of.
As for the taxi of dad… well, this is a grumpy option reserved only for desperate occasions when I really require something. So far, these occasions have been various tins of emulsion when I first moved into my current flat a few years ago and — eh — to get a tiny, but thick and bushy Christmas tree.
Anyway, on both of these occasions I’ve been extremely impressed by this Homebase. DIY and gardening aren’t really my things but just a few steps in here and I’m genuinely excited!
It’s a massive store that is well lit, organised, laid out and everything is clearly sign posted. This means even someone as clueless as me can locate wide general sections without any trouble. If you get to one of these sections are a little overwhelmed by your vast choice, it’s really easy to catch a member of passing staff who will be able to point you in the direction of certain products, or a line of products, that best suit your purposes.
As Eleanor mentioned, should you go slightly shopping mad 0 and it’s easy let me tell you — the staff are super helpful at the checkout and will happily help you out to the car with your load.
Favourite sections of this store have got to include the gardening section outside; the lighting section and, of course, the bargain section. This last one is extremely random and most of the time you won’t find anything you NEED there but it’s worth glancing over on the way to the checkouts.

My Mum is an avid Gardener and I am following in her footsteps, so we often take a wee mother-​daughter trip to Homebase! Woohoo! Okay, so i’m easily amused.
Whether it’s to pick up a new plant or just some Baby-​Bio this place rocks! In addition to plants they also have paint, wallpaper and a lighting department.
My Mums favourite section is the «Bargain Section» and we once found a lovely picture which had no price on it. When we asked the guy at the desk he said if we made a donation in one of their charity boxes then we could have it, donating to a good cause and getting a lovely picture, fantastic!
The staff here are really helpful and will even assist you to your car if you get a bit carried away buying too many wares.

Perhaps slightly overshadowed by the Darnly B&Q which isn’t too far away but still a decent store for DIY and home fittings purchases. Sometimes have specials on that are worth a look and I’ve never found it too busy so if you like wandering round these stores you should find it useful. Plenty of car parking outside and helpful enough staff.