Charity Shops: Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall

If you thought charity shops were housed in dinghy little buildings or bland high-streets, you must visit the Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall shop. Despite living in the area for a good few years, I always assumed Thorpe Hall was a wedding venue and so never really ventured in. However, I very excited to recently discover that it housed a Sue Ryder hospice and a charity shop. Such a perfect reason to write about a great shop, a great cause and also help my readers make some fab shopping savings!

The Sue Ryder shop is quaint and compact with very friendly staff. And yet, it housed a vast volume of truly beautiful china, vintage glassware, pottery, good quality clothing a even a few great books. My favourite items were an Orla Kiely style jacket that was in mint condition,  a very quirky taxi brooch that has made my trinket box its new home, lovely and a some pretty sparkly ballerinas. I even found some classic books that were being sold for an absolute bargain.

Whilst on the subject of the shop, I think it is worth mentioning the charity itself and its inspirational founder. To quote wikipedia,  "The Sue Ryder charity has been supporting people with complex needs and life-threatening illnesses for over fifty years. The charity supports people living with conditions including cancer, multiple sclerosis, dementia and stroke at 7 specialist palliative care centres, 6 care centres for people with complex conditions, 15 homecare services and a growing portfolio of tailored, community-based services." By shopping at the Sue Ryder charity shops, you are helping support a very worthy cause.

Whilst writing this post, I also read up a bit more about Sue Ryder herself. A truly amazing lady, she started her caring career volunteering at the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry during World War II at the very young age of fifteen. She spent a her post-war years undertaking more relief work before eventually establishing the Sue Ryder Foundation in 1953. Sue Ryder was a woman of faith and that helped her on her journey to provide help and care to thousands that desperately needed it. If you are interested in learning more about her work, it may be worth contacting the Sue Ryder folk who I'm sure would be happy to tell you more!

If you are still reading this and feeling positively moved, can I ask you to look up the Sue Ryder website and read about their Thorpe Hall Appeal. They are looking to expand the services provided at Thorpe Hall by building an extension for which they require £6 million by March 2015. There are a number of ways in which you can help and I suggest checking out the Thrope Hall Appeal page

Before I love you and leave you, here are my top tips for this charity shop. This is your place if you are looking for vintage china, good quality ceramics, wedding and mother of the bridge outfits and stunning silverware. Whilst stock at the shop is likely to vary and is dependent on donations, I have a feeling that this shop gets some truly unique and generous donations. More importantly, all donations stay there so they don't get shipped to any other store.

I hope you are able to make some time to visit the Sue Ryder shop when you are in the area and also take time to read up on the Thorpe Hall Appeal. Where else can you bag a unique bargain and also make your soul feel good?  Ann x

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Quirky Shops: Either Or & Doodlage

When I wrote about Either Or the other week, I promised to write a part two. Well, here it is. As I'd mentioned in my previous post, Either Or has been a great supporter of up and coming  Indian fashion brands and they also encourage sustainable fashion. Happily Unmarried and Chumbak are friends of Either Or and were supported by the store. However, the best example of the store's support of young, ethical and quirky is it's collaboration with Doodlage.

When I first spotted this lovely jumpsuit with whimsical bunny prints on one of the store rails, I bounced with joy. When Laxmi brought out more of Doodlage's delights, I was utterly smitten. Doodlage makes gorgeous fashion items out of used clothes. It draws about the traditional Indian ethos of recycling beautiful clothes and handing things down the generations albeit slightly touched-up. Doodlage's price band isn't the cheapest but the quality of its reused fabrics and its robust designs make it good value for money.

The prices start at about £50 upwards for a shift dress to about £80 for the bunny print jumpsuit. If you fancy a piece or two from this up and coming brand, head to Either Or Pune or check them out online at Not Just a Label. Also, hopefully this post and the lovely clothes will hopefully have inspired you to re-invent and up-cycle your own old clothes. Ann x

Quirky Shops: Either Or Pune, A Visual Delight

There is nothing cooler than a quirky shop with a strong ethos. I stumbled upon Either Or whilst in Pune, India and fell in love with the place. Everything from the shop's front door to all the bric-a-brac it sold had character. More importantly, the store is a supporter of local artisans and designers which, in an age of fast fashion,  is a wonderful thing. I liked the shop so much and Ed took so many photos that I will be writing two posts about this lovely boutique.

Either Or isn't just a fashion store. It sells a lifestyle that encourages ethnic design, sustainable fashion and creative ideas. I can't wait to get back home and hand paint my kilner jars and stuff them with wild flowers. Or perhaps, use block printing to revive a pair or of tired shoes. My favourite things included the intricately embroidered and colourful printed cushion covers, painted teapots, and hand-painted lampshades. The service was also very good-Laxmi and her team treated us to fresh tender coconut water whilst we browsed. Ed and I were impressed. Either Or has two sections within the same building to cater to its large and varied stock. The store also has a little lounging/reading area which stocks some fabulous reads including Handmade in India.

If you are on the look out for unusual fashion items, ethnic jewellery, colourful home decorations- this is the place to head to. Either Or also stocks some fabulous craft sets which are great for kids of all ages. I bought a few sets of crafty things for my little sister and myself. Expect crafty blog posts relating to bandhani and block printing at some point. Also, watch this space for my next post on Either Or featuring one of the designers they support. Keep colourful. Ann x

Charity Shops: The Boutique, Pimlico London

I think Mary Portas is an amazing woman. When she gives something her seal of approval, I think its worth noting. So in my quest for amazing charity shops, I found Mary Portas's endorsement of the Crusaid shop in Pimlico. Crusaid has now been reinvented as The Boutique and it is pretty swanky for a charity shop. It is managed by the Terrence Higgins Trust which is the largest voluntary sector provider of HIV and sexual health services in the UK. It never ceases to amaze me how customer service is often so much better in a charity shop than a say a high street or designer store. The people that work here are often volunteers and not on big bucks but they are always willing to help. Needless to say, customer service was top notch at The Boutique too.

Charity shops are becoming more and more up-market these days and this particular one is a good example. The stock here included brand new Liberty silk scarves (donated by Liberty), Burberry and Tods bags, couture from Balmain and Dior etc. The shop had two rooms; one that focused on art, home decor and books and the other mainly fashion with a sprinkling of all sorts of other things too. I was particularly impressed by its collection coffee table books on travel and fashion and its vintage china.

The Boutique is a short walk from the Pimlico tube station and they also have log where they take note of any items you may be particularly interested in. I've listed vintage Chanel, Givenchy and Mulberry and am eagerly waiting for a phone call. Happy charity shopping!  Ann x

 

Quirky Shops: Bird's Yard Leeds

  

My early memories of UK high-street fashion included its mind-numbing sameness. It was like everyone that lived here went to the same school of fashion cloning. I was terribly bored and responded by stomping around wearing brightly coloured mekhalas and ethnic fashion items. After all, what is the fun is looking exactly like the person standing next to you? Of course I had not yet discovered Brick Lane or other quirky corners of this country where fashion rebellion does exist. Though I've now relaxed my stance on the high-street  (I love Cos, Zara, Mango, H&M collaborations, River Island etc.), I continue to feel fashion fatigue. 

 

It was in in response to this fatigue that I started my quest for unique and original fashion. I found that little dress-agencies selling retro fashion, charity shops and small boutiques are often the best bets for finding quirky and one-off fashion items. I usually research a place in advance of visiting to ensure I optimise time. However, I love surprise finds like Bird's Yard in Leeds. I was walking back from a meeting in Leeds to the train station when I spotted this store. It has a relatively unassuming exterior but is a veritable treasure trove of vintage couture, quirky fashion and unique home accessories inside.

Bird's Yard is an collection of independent boutiques selling vintage fashion, jewellery and home accessories including up-cycled chairs and handmade cushion covers.I love the Bird's Shell store in particular (on the topmost floor) which sells and hires out unique and highly embellished items of clothing. I also found an original 1930's tan satchel which felt like meeting history face-to-face. Bird's Yard is probably the only place in Leeds that stocks Tatty Devine, another favourite.The other interesting items included coke, beer and juice bottle tops recycled to make earrings, and cointreau and gin bottles recycled as lampshades. The downstairs is home to the Marvellous Tea Room which is kitsch and welcoming. I loved Bird's Yard so much that I could not stop myself from taking far too many photos. Some of my favourites are here. Have you got any favourite independent stores where you live? I tend to travel around the UK a fair bit so I'd love to discover other unique stores after a long working day. Ann x 

Charity Shops: St Barnabas Hospice Lincoln High Street

I'd had a rough week with one thing after another going wrong. Just as I was earnestly hoping for a wave of positivity to wash the bad taste of the week away, I passed by the St Barnabas Hospice Charity Shop*-The Attic. I could sense Ed's relief after several hours of patient tolerance of my grumpiness. In my experience, Charity shops (good ones) are the best antidote to misery. This one made me smile as soon as I walked in. The first item I spotted was a vintage Hermes Silk Scarf. The price was too good to be true and so I checked with the lady managing the store regarding the authenticity of the scarf.  She confirmed that the person that dropped it off verified it as being the deal deal. Wonderful!

I wandered round the store exploring its many vintage books, clothes, brooches, hats. etc. The shop has two floors full of quirky one-off pieces of fashion and art. Compared to similar shops in London, the prices were so much more reasonable. I picked up some gorgeous vintage brooches for a couple of quid each and a boxed YSL silk scarf for £10! I am totally smitten by this little charity shop and cannot wait to visit again soon. This is the place to go in Lincolnshire if you are on the look-out for unique vintage fashion items at very reasonable prices. If you would like to be kept into loop about the happenings at the shop, check out the shop's blog managed by its lovely Asst. Manager Rachel. Do you know of any other wonderful charity shops in Lincolnshire? Ann x

*St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice is an independent hospice, committed to providing the highest standard of medical and nursing care for patients living with a life threatening illness

Charity Shops: Octavia Brompton Road, London

Now that I've created my blogging to-do list for the next year, I might as well make a start! This is the first of a new series of posts featuring some of the best charity shops around. I'm doing this in an attempt to encourage ethical fashion whilst promoting various charities. To give it a dash of glamour, I'm going to start with a rather fancy one-Octavia Brompton Road. The Octavia Foundation aims to establish strong communities and improve the quality of life people living in Central London. There are numerous Octavia charity shops dotted around London and I've been a few of these. The Brompton Road shop has been newly refurbished and is located in a very exclusive part of London with neighbours including the V&A museum and Harrods.

 The shop has two floors filled with beautiful designer clothes, shoes, jewellery and home artifacts.Unlike some charity shops where items looks tired and poorly presented, everything here is immaculate and well displayed. I spotted Chloe, Zandra Rhodes, Jimmy Choo, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry etc. I fell in love with a pill box hat with coins and pearls sewed on but resisted the urge to buy. I tried on a Herve Leger dress which retails for over a £1000 full price at slightly less pricey £350.

As much as I love Octavia Brompton Road , it is definitely one of the more expensive charity shops I've been to. Some well known brands sell here for more than you would pay in the seasonal sales. However, there were a few brands like Marni and Sergio Rossi which seemed to have not been marked up as much. As with most charity shops and thrift stores, it is all about looking through rails carefully and seeking out little gems.If there is any charity shop where you can definitely find a beautiful piece of high end designer fashion, I think it is here. Ann x