The furniture in this St Leonard's Hospice shop is lovely and in great condition. I didn't find…read moreanything I liked enough to buy as their stock isn't that cheap, however most of it didn't even look second hand. A nice clean shop too. I am going to go back periodically to check if they have anything I want to buy.

This awesome little charity shop is some way off the beaten track of Otley, but is not to be…read moreignored as a result. I came by here on one of my bigger shopping spends and had an absolute ball wading through their bargainous items! In the way of games, toys and books etc there were the usual retro clunky bits, which aren't really ever going to sell too well, but if you forget about that and get stuck into the clothing you'll be as happy as a sandboy! Otley is one of the best for clothing in their charity shops and I can't tell you how much I could have spent. In the end I went the sensible route and only purchased two pairs of leather gloves, but goodness I could have gone for more! The most impressive feature is that they had one of the best volunteers I've ever had the pleasure of being served by in a charity shop. The chap was rushed off his feet by a hoard of customers and managed to serve several of us at once, managing cash, the card machine, the till and bagging it all up too! Really great stuff, and it was even service with a smile. Truly worth a visit - it's blooming great!

I love this shop, Its quite big for a charity shop which means they usually have quite a nice…read moreselection of furniture. They also sell clothing, bric-a-brac and other textile items. I really enjoy having a wander around this shop and can usually find a new top, or a nice little ornament for my mum! Don't be put off by how dark this shop looks from the outside - they just seem to be dark lights... Once inside there are bargains to be had!

THE YMCA MARLBOROUGH HALL:…read more Elegantly situated on Halifax's famous Crossley Street, 'The Marlborough Hall' is perfectly placed for a variety of events, current events including the longstanding annual Halifax YMCA Pantomimes and private roller blade parties. The Grade II magnificent late Victorian building, provides a beautiful, memorable backdrop for both theatrical and music events, while its central position at the heart of the Halifax, offers event organisers 'Gorilla Zoo', an endless adaptable space. Gorilla Zoo Live with the support of the Halifax YMCA want to take the Marlborough Hall back to its musical roots way back in 1959, when brothers Max and Shirley Crabtree (aka Big Daddy) where both involved in promoting dances and concerts at the Hall . Calderdale's based venue promoter 'Gorilla Zoo' comprises of a team of event promoters, musicians, award winning marketers and sound and light technical experts, all of which have over the years been involved in event promoting. The founding members of the Gorilla Zoo have been involved in live events and publishing publicity with the likes of Clint Boon, Selecter, Spear of Destiny, Bad Manners, The Beat, Shed 7, Mock Turtles, Mani of the Stone Roses, Ocean Colour Scene, Fat Boy Slim and Johnny Marr to name but a few as well as nurturing local talent in Calderdale's thriving live music scene. Back in the day's for the cost of the six shilling admission the Halifax general public was treated to numerous performances that was so dynamic and full of movement that they left even the fittest among the sell-out crowd absolutely exhausted, Gorilla Zoo plan to duplicate this, well apart from the six shilling entry fee!!?? A selection of 'The Marlborough Hall' past acts: * Lulu and The Lovers (February 27, 1965) * Richie Valance * Pete Best * Johnny Kid & The Pirates * Billy Fury * Gene Jancent * Calderbeats: (1964 - Plated 250 gigs between 64 - 65 * Donovan performed on May 15, 1965. * Screaming Lord Sutch, February 20, 1965 * Pythagoras Squares * Sammy King and The Voltaires * Tornados on March 13, 1965. * The Honeycombs, * The Merseybeats... Tony Crane - Billy Kingsley Liverpool express * The Searchers... * Screamin' Jay Hawkins * The Undertakers, 2 x * The Mojos - Stu James * The Fentones - shane * Heinz, * The Check-mates * The Applejacks * The Roulettes: Adam faith * The Tremeloes

Oxfam has always scored highly on my list of favourite charity shops. In their Leeds branch, the…read morelayout is airy and spacious; where so many others make their interior seem cramped, akin to a jumble sale. The specific reason I am drawing attention to this store, is because of the specially donated clothes rail by designer label Whistles. There are many items that are new but cannot be sold by Whistles, and have been passed on to raise money for the worthy charity. To be able to pick up one of their fawn coloured silky frocks for £30, is brilliant value. This rail is in an allocated vintage section of the store; surrounded by entire wardrobes of goodies, antique handkerchiefs and gloves. I doubt the antique handkerchiefs will have any antique content. The shop has an extensive book section, often with many limited edition novels and comics included in their display. There is a comprehensive range of greetings cards, products from the fairly traded Divine chocolate range and beautifully decorated diaries. The jewellery section is also worth a gander, I recently picked up some new Johnny Loves Rosie hair clips for a fraction of their original price. Great stock presented in an attractive way for a worthy cause. What more can I say?

Colour me shocked yet again. I always thought the majority of merchandise in charity shops was…read moresecond hand, used, loved by another not new. This large Oxfam store seems to be different than any other charity shop I've ever been in. It's like a vintage store business. And as for that not for profit doodah, this place is almost high street expensive in parts. Now, sans overheads if it all makes it to the desired cause then you can let that slide a little, but the rumour mill churns and I'm not 100% sure. I did not know that Oxfam was now a seller of Ethical gifts and fair trade clothing. That was a surprise to discover also, and again with the above sentiments, if it's all going to a charitable place and not into the wallet of a fat cat exec who gets paid well to exploit the plight of others. With a combination or should that be variety of second and now first hand items to look through and nosey at Oxfam seller of clothing, music, footwear, books, and accessories, and an impressive window display, it's worth a look around, as a shop in it's own right, especially if the vintage retro vibe is yo thang!

The most recent addition to the Westgate shops is run mainly by a team of volunteers raising money…read morefor Kirkwood Hospice. This is where you can find good quality second hand items, ranging from books and DVDs, to clothes, linens and even furniture. All the staff are very helpful and friendly and nothing seems to be too much trouble for them. They once even delivered a computer desk to my house as I had no transport. Last year was the 20th anniversary of the Kirkwood Hospice, and the shop sold many small special items such as trolley discs and shopping bags to help publicise the fact.

Tucked away around the corner from the Skyrack is Mind, the first on the Otley run of charity shops…read morein Headingley. I think it's location means that it is often overlooked, people will usually die straight in to Martin House - which is no bad thing as that place is ace - but it seems unfair to miss Mind out entirely. Mind have a lovely quirky store that always has some interesting crockery or glassware on their shelves. Sure enough you'll find all the standard items from a charity shop - VHS, DVDs, CDs, Books and more. They have a separate room that houses all their clothing, which usually has a lot of cool bits for girls. They've never had a great deal of jewellery but all in all the staff are lovely and it's great for a browse. Always worth checking here first for costume ideas before spending a lot elsewhere too, what with all the student dress ups and so on!

Mind is a spacious charity shop and isn't packed full of stuff. This is both good and bad because…read moreit's easier to browse and find a gem but there isn't a huge amount to choose from. What there is though is mostly of high quality and there is a nice range of clothing, some children's toys and clothes and a decent amount of books, vinyl, CDs, videos and DVDs. They have quite a lot of home ware and crockery and they also sell new greetings cards. As Rowena says it is easy to miss out Mind when running the Headingley charity shop gauntlet but it's definitely worth a look in.

Though relatively small, this charity shops makes the most of the space, making use of every nook…read moreand cranny to store a wide range of quality products. The shop is well lit and the products appear more varied and interesting than in most charity shops. They have a wide selection of shoes neatly displayed and a large range of quality handbags. They are also very well stocked for trousers and jeans and sell a range of new jewellery that is brightly-coloured, chunky and fun. I bought one of my favourite dresses here a while ago for £9.00 when they used to have an interesting vintagey section at the back with corresponding higher prices...but this section appears to have vanished - I wish they would bring it back! Overall this British Heart Foundation is a quality charity shop and well worth a visit!

There is something about charity shops that makes me feel good. I'm not sure whether it's the…read morebargains, or the pleasure in seeing stuff being given a new life, it might be just that it enables me to feel good about myself..... BHF is one of my regular charities so i try to call in and have a browse rarely leaving without treasure, this branch always has a good selection and the staff seem very pleasant.

Don't ask me why, as I honestly couldn't tell you, but I've found more one-off hand made and…read moreexciting goodies in Moortown Corner than anywhere else of late. I was literally there for a little wander, and being me, I couldn't resist nipping into the charity shops. I have a rather burning habit of doing that, as you may have noticed if you've read a few of my reviews. I'd tried out the Well Fair Shop just a few shops up the last time I came to Moortown so this time it seemed only right that I give Cancer Research a visit! Inside there were lots and lots of treats. The lady in there was really helpful and friendly, certainly, she didn't seem to mind my browsing for eons 'umming' and 'ahhing' over whether or not to just top it up to a £20 spend with that one extra dress! Surprisingly there were quite a few pretty decent labels in there too, which is always a bonus. As well as some great women's clothing there was a lot of knick-knacks, crockery and glassware, ornamentals, jewellery and more! A grand little charity shop to visit!

Much, much nicer than the Oxfam close by, in that it's really well stocked and there's been some…read morethought put into how the clothes are displayed and laid out. Plenty of books too. Knocked a star off though because a knitted Bench scarf was £4 which despite being is pretty steep in my book. OK, I know it's for charity, but I'm a pretty seasoned charity shop shopper and I know what's good value and what's not. And that's not. Sort out your pricing and you'll get another star!