Good shop/bad shop

Len Smith’s, Twickenham, Middlesex

Len Smith’s is a proper sports shop without the aisles and walls full of football shirts and casualwear.

Its space is devoted to sports equipment and if you need a squash racket restringing or a cricket bat handle fitting, the shop will oblige.

You can also get the kids’ school uniform there. It has staff who actually know what they are talking about and can advise you on what to buy.

It also stocks items like cricket spike spanners, which you won’t find in a retail park sports store.

It is a bit old fashioned – it was founded 80 years ago – but the advice and help you can get there is excellent.

Sports Direct, Isleworth, west London

There is no doubting the value Sports Direct offers, but on just about every other level the shop fails badly.

Cluttered aisles, stock strewn over the floor in busy periods, staff who have yet to learn good manners and the value of a smile; the experience is one where you need to draw breath before you go in.

If you need advice, help or assistance you are likely to suffer a long and frustr-ating shop.

What is particularly poor is the time it takes to get a member of staff to bring out some shoes to try on, or get any sort of information or advice on the shoes.

But then, where else can you get a full England strip for your child for£24?