On 2006-09-19 23:21:31 +0100, (Andrew
Gabriel) said:

In article ,
Andy Hall writes:

For an all-time bricofix, there is nothing to beat BHV. This is
actually an enormous department store and their store in Paris (Rivoli
- near Hotel de Ville) is an Aladdin's cave. Even the coffee shop
leaves anything B&Q can muster in tatters.

BHV really is a must-see if you are anywhere near Paris. You can
spend hours in the basement going through loads of really handy
DIY things you never would have known where to buy otherwise,
whilst the other half browses through household and other
departments.
As I've mentioned a few times, I sometimes find myself making light
fittings, and it's the only place I know where you can go and
find all the bits of brass tubing, etc for making light fittings.
Good job my dad lives in Paris:-)

Conveniently, there is an entrance directly from the Metro into the
department. They couldn't make it much easier.

What has always amused me is that they carry a comprehensive stock of
large items such as 2440x1220 sheet materials. Certainly one
wouldn''t want to attempt to take one of those on the Metro and from
the road location perspective is not somewhere that one would normally
show up with a Landrover and roof bars.

If anybody ever took a trip to Hamleys at an age of under 5 and more
than 30 years ago when it was a proper toy shop and not just a
dispenser of packaged cr@p, the impression is comparable.