Ryman

Ryman is a cheap stationers based in the Northfield Shopping Centre and a good place to head if you need reams of printer paper, tippex, pens, pencil cases, glue etc. Generally either frequented by sad stationery geeks like me (I once had a job where I was responsible for ordering all the stationery for our office — it was heavenly although 15 years on I still suspect they are working their way through the job lot of gel pens in neon colours I ordered… what can I say? They were pretty) or schoolkids on the hunt for that latest back-​to-​school purchase this is a reliably cheap place, staffed by a friendly team. Although you can probably buy things like index files and plastic folders for a better price at Wilkinsons they are difficult to beat for toner and ink.

Partners has been in the Grosvenor Shopping Centre for years, I’ve shopped there more or less ever since it first opened and I still think it’s brilliant.
It specialises in stationery of all kinds and has moved with the times now selling a good range of computer stationery such as photo paper, ink and plain printing paper.
There is a wide range of products available, and plenty of choice within the ranges. To name a few items you can expect to find pencil cases and everything to fill them, notebooks, folders, paper of every size imaginable, filing cases and oh, lots and lots of other things related to all things scribbling.
I took my daughters there during the Christmas holidays and they bought everything they needed for their new term at school, now any other year we’d have popped into Woolies for a lot of this stuff but they obviously weren’t available this year and I’m so glad I had this chance to requaint myself with Partners. My girls’ are the bees knees in school with only the trendiest pens and pencils; Partners keep their finger on the pulse and this year have Hannah Montana and HSM goodies for my American loving nine year old and a very cool skull and crossbones range for the gothy twelve year old.
Sometimes this branch of Partners will have child sized stools or desks for sale, this seems to be as and when they can get them and they’re nice enough but personally I think you could find them cheaper elsewhere.
Prices overall aren’t too bad, some people find them expensive but I think they’re fine. There are some items which can be found cheaper in other shops but the majority of stuff is very reasonably priced. This one of those shops that I don’t mind a mark up of prices on some things because the convenience of doing all my stationery shopping in one place AND having such a lovely choice makes up for an extra few pence on the bill.