Charity Shops

I have enjoyed my time in charity shops and although I am quite happy to buy new there is more of a buzz when you see something amongst the allsorts that comes with this style of shopping. I just gathered most of the Gardening Books that I have aquired over time...ok one is of Cat,s but they can never be left out of our lives we are the slaves after all....just seen I have added a bird book, which has great illustrations.

all real bargains..Any other charity shop fans?

 

I love charity shops, especially for the books. My favourites must be cooking and gardening books from 70's and 80's, the best so far being Mary Berry's meat cookery book that gives fully illustrated instructions of preparing and decorating a whole pig's head. Class!

I also always browse for jigsaw puzzles and take a look at the clothes. I rarely need anything but my Teenager is delighted to get an impulse buy pink trenchcoat or a dress. Needless to say, I also buy a lot of novels that usually get back to the shop unless I desperately want to try to cram them into our bookshelves for a second reading round.

Now that the charity shops have been mostly closed for nearly a year, I browse their online ones. Oxfam is supplying the Teenager with endless deliveries of trinkets and pretty, but utterly useless assorted thingabobbies.

Here are some links for our UK based charity shoppers:
https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/shop
British Heart Foundation Shop | eBay Shops
https://www.depop.com/stoswaldshospice/
St Oswald's Hospice | eBay Stores
Sense Retail | eBay Stores

Mostly I miss the lovely staff, they are without an exception truly nice and kind people. They are not in a hurry and always take a personal interest in customers.

 

We have the Hope Assoc. very close to us and opens up only on Thursday and 1st Sunday of each month they support animal rescues and do a grand job. They are talking appointments only and display items on their Facebook group and the place is more like a warehouse, the amount of books at 1 euro each is astounding. That is what I use to go there for but it is an aladdin's cave.
They have a cafe with delish cakes made by volunteers. Fish and Chip van calls there and they often have fetes with a group playing and singing...They do really well but like most Charity Venues the covid hits all.Agree about the staff they attract the kindest of people.

 

I love trinkets and pretty, but utterly useless assorted thingabobbies.

 

Let me guess, the presents you get from your nearest and dearest can roughly be classified under "storage solutions"
That's how it works in our household- organisers, jewellery boxes, basket sets of all kinds trying desperately to catch the overflow from The Teenager's room. Her tea cabinet has just expanded to another shelf to accommodate the lovely rose patterned sugar bowl. She doesn't take sugar in her tea.

 

I don't get presents from my nearest and dearest. Could count the times I have in 53 years. Had flowers twice, once for my 21st / our 1st, the other for my 40th / our 20th. All Carnations, one white/21 red and 20 white/40 red long stemmed delivered to my office and I had to take them home in a two-seater sports car.

By the way, I don't buy him presents either. Him putting up with me all these years shows his love and dedication and vice versa.