Trawling Charity Shops

Flo is seeking items to use in making a baby’s mobile. In particular she is collecting beads. One very good source of such material is Charity Shops which now populate most of our High Streets. One such is New Milton’s Station Road.

This afternoon Flo walked the length of the road investigating these outlets,

while I wandered up and down with my camera.

As usual, all the pictures are titled in the galleries.

This gentleman apparently absorbed in the Mencap window

revealed his lassitude as he departed with his companion leaving the store.

This gentleman patiently waiting to cross the road carries his own tribute to Queen Elizabeth II’s upcoming 70th Jubilee celebrations at the beginning of June.

While walking along the street I picked up a wallet from the gutter. This contained a certain amount of identifying material but nothing of monetary value. In an effort to return it to its owner, possibly one from Australia with South London connections and a long name unpronounceable by this Englishman, I took it to the local police office,

where I was confronted with instructions as to how to proceed. I left the wallet on top of the box.

I expect you have all spotted me.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s most wholesome stewp consisting of chicken and goodness knows what else – all somehow blending perfectly – with crusty fresh bread and no alcohol required.

63 comments

  1. It’s handy that these shops are all close together. Here we call them thrift shops. I love browsing in them – it’s like walking into a grab bag – you never know what you’ll find.

    1. What GP said. We have several from national organizations like Good Will to local ASPCA, various church groups, veteran’s groups, and military spouse groups. In some areas like Washington, DC, some of them are very particular about what they agree to pick up and will only provide a truck if they think they can sell it. Others will take almost anything.

  2. Those shops have a lot of good deals for the frugal shopper. Who ever heard of a police station that was not open 24hrs a day? Great shots Derrick!

  3. Hi Derrick – I spotted you! I like seeing these street scenes. Strange that the local police office was closed. Here in the U.S. if you find a lost wallet, you can put it in a mailbox. I’ve never had to do that, but I think the post office will mail it to the owner.

    1. More and more of our police stations operate like that, Barbara. Well spotted – I of course didn’t know until I got it on the screen. Thanks a lot.

      1. Haha – I’ve done that a few times taking pictures of my kids – it’s actually interesting to see. I have a picture that my mom took of me as a girl and her full shadow is also in the picture, in the shape of an A-line coat she always wore. It’s a nice memory. đŸ™‚

  4. I used to spend the morning of my Saturdays in the two suburbs of Arnold and Sherwood, visiting the charity shops. There were seventeen of them, in two High Streets. It’s such a pity that those otherwise empty shops were not occupied by seventeen healthy small businesses.

  5. The ghost in the window! It is an oddity that a party that makes so much of its love of law and order has presided over the reduction of the connection between police and the public.

  6. Your shop photos are always such fun! So much to see! People, too! Including a hard working photographer and a yawning man (but seemingly patient man) in the same photo! đŸ˜‰
    What Flo is making sounds wonderful! Would love to see her artwork!
    Sad on the wallet…such a bummer to lose something so important.
    (((HUGS))) đŸ™‚

  7. I enjoy the British charity shops in GB, each with their own personality and focus, it is so good to be able to reuse what is not good for someone else.

  8. An interesting post. We have thrift stores here that sell second hand donated items to benefit charities like the one my husband David manages. The items in your charity stores look new, or at least well presented.

  9. I did spot you in the Mencap window, Derrick! đŸ™‚

    I imagine Flo will take a photo of the mobile for readers when she has finished?

  10. As the cost of living rises, charity shops are becoming increasingly important in our society. We have two main ones in town – supporting Hospice and the SPCA respectively. There are also secondhand clothing-, book-, and furniture stores. What astounded me was the police station not being open to the public! In our town found items such as wallets, bank cards, glasses and keys are usually handed in to one of the private security companies. They have a good record of finding the owners via the use of social media.

  11. I love your shops, Derrick. We have a small city close to us that has similar streets. A lot of character – unlike our big box stores and strip malls.

  12. I hope Flo could lay hands on objects she set out to look for. My mind raced as I peeked through those windows decorated with interesting objects. I caught glimpse of an avid shooter reflected in one of the shopfronts. I am sorry you couldn’t return the wallet to the gentleman with an unpronounceable Austrian name.

  13. It must have been cold. I can see the bored gentleman’s breath! My favorite kind of shopping. I hate fancy stores and malls but love thrift stores. A fun adventure, never knowing what you’ll come up with. I like places like that, as well.

  14. At least you can boast you still have high street shops. So many of ours have been turned into shopping malls. Ten years back when I visited England and then on to France in autumn I intended to buy a coat and then donate it back. But I couldn’t find a charity shop in Westgate-on-Sea where I was staying! In the end I bought a heavy duty parka new in H&M in Paris for 40 euro. It is still hanging in my wardrobe, hardly used. I might put it up for sale as winter is coming on here. Maybe someone is planning a trip further inland where it would be useful.

  15. Fascinating shots of the shops and yes, I spotted you. Odd that there wasn’t any help in returning the wallet to its rightful owner.

  16. Multiple second-hand shops on the same street? It almost seems odd except now that I think about it, I can often find the same conditions here. Ours more rarely benefit anyone other than the owner of the shop, however, and the folks selling on consignment. I preferred shopping second hand when Tara was rapidly growing, because then I could see at a glance what would hold up to multiple washings!

  17. I couldn’t get over how many op shops the UK had in most places we visited. Reminds of the days when I was a 20-something with a smaller waist who only brought very stylish op shop treasures.

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