Mary Portas has done it again. Come up with a great idea to re-generate our high streets in time of austerity and crisis for many retailers and charities. One of her “Living and Giving” charity shops has just opened up in our village of Barnes, with the proceeds going to “Save the Children”. These are no ordinary looking charity shops but designed to look like up market boutiques with attention paid to visual presentation and customer service. They are based on the concept of cooperation, with community involvement at the heart every shop. Each shop has a manager but is run by volunteers from the local community. The idea seems to work well, our little shop is a delight to visit. As well as very good condition 2nd hand clothes and books there is a selection of new garments donated by retailers and designers. Sizes are often small so I guess these are probably samples.
 |
| A friend of mine browsing |
 |
| The rails are neatly arranged |
 |
| Handbags and shoes were good quality |
 |
| Love some of this jewellery – very ethnic and of the moment |
Below is the final option of getting rid of unwanted stuff. I did say in my last post that weather permitting I was going to go to a “car boot” sale. So a friend and I got up at the unholy hour of 5.45am, packed our cars full of “garage stuff” and headed off to the nearest sale. What an experience! We had to queue for over an hour to get in. When we finally arrived at our pitch before we could even get our boxes unpacked people were rummaging around and squabbling over the goods. Not quite up to the standard of a French Brocante but fun all the same.
 |
| Amazing what you can get out of a car boot! |
 |
| The handbag seller! |
Thank you for reading. I really love to hear from you and appreciate the time you take to leave comments.
Fashion and Style, Beauty tips, Lifestyle
So, how did you do? I am trying to nip the issue at the source by not accumulating so much. The move was a great impetus, and now the one in/one out rule is keeping things in check. I also had to be stern with my children about giving us only gifts that we can use up.
I think we did really well. I made just over £100 and my friend made more as she was downsizing from a house to a flat. It has also made me much more reflective before I buy anything as I was horrified what I had spent my money on and not really got the use of over the years. It was worth the queues and the freezing May weather.
Good for you! That is the hidden gift: how much we accumulate without much thought. I wish I were an exemplar but I am 80% better.