I may have mentioned this before, like once or twice, but I am a little teensy bit addicted to…read morecharity shops. So it'll come as little surprise that I've scoured them all in Ilkey! But, not being one to overlook a bargain hole, I decided that the Ilkley BHF needed a good mention. I went a-visiting one Sunday with a friend and decided to take one last minute little shop around before everything closed up. It was around 4pm I think, literally closing time for most places, and I spotted BHF on the corner. Somehow I'd missed it earlier so I dashed across the zebra crossing. Despite the speeds cars go at along that main road I managed not to have an encounter, thankfully! They were literally about to shut it all up and I asked if I could have a quick nose. They let me in without an utterance of dissent, which was really really kind. I flew around the shop, which was pretty well stocked with all the clothing, games, videos, glassware, house holds, and other such items that you could imagine, and then suddenly spotted the most lovely pair of vintage leather gloves. Could I risk annoying everyone and purchase them? Turns out, not a problem, it didn't even seem to be an issue. I suppose, in hindsight, it might have been worse if I had simply browsed and bought nothing! But I was so pleased, as I would have never made it back soon enough for them, and so couldn't be happier. Yey!

Ilkley, being the kind of place it is (a fairly up market little town), has some of the best…read morecharity shops. I realise that sounds a little ruthless, charity is charity and I'll always try to clothes shop for bits in these places before trying the old corporate conglomerate style route, but seriously. Ilkley has got some fantastic bargainous charity shops! And Cancer Research is one of them. Going in and looking straight at a clothes rail was like shopping in a designer outlet. There were so many beautifully designed items at more than 80% cheaper than the original price they would have been, muchos exciting. Some even still have the tags on, which is crazy! Obviously it wasn't all like this; there were some rails of glory and others not so much. But compared to, say, Headingley, it was like a bargain dream. With some very helpful staff and a mere fee (which I won't mention as it was a Christmas gift..!) my boyfriend and I went halves on a beautiful quirky designer coat for his Aunty. Fab!

I like to visit shops like Cancer Research UK as you know that your money is going towards…read moresomething helpful other than manufacturing more glitzy dresses for the clones to wear next winter. I found that this shop also had some gems. As Rowena said, some clothes still had their tags attached which I found beyind belief. It shows the grand people of Ilkley must either really not like their christmas gifts or have no need to return clothes that aren't suitable. Good on them, it's for charity after all. I didn't buy anything from here but I enjoyed looking through the rails at the mix of designs and fabrics.

This is probably the largest charity shop in Ilkley and holds all the delights of an Oxfam shop,…read moremixing second hand clothes and books with new items. At the front there is a section selling garden things where I picked up some compost mostly for its novelty value but also to plant things in. It is compacted to about the size of a brick but when you add water to it, it expands to 8 liters. Or so it says on the packet! I thought compost was alive and this seems pretty dry..? Oh well, I'll give it a go. In keeping with its ethics, this Oxfam has a range of fair trade jewelry and chocolate and eco-friendly washing powders. If you're stuck for a gift idea for the person who wants for nothing then you can buy them a goat in Africa to help a family. So if you haven't been totally sucked into all of this and want to move further into the shop, you will find second hand clothes and a large book section at the back. There is also a bedding section, which I haven't noticed in many other charity shops before.

It feels a bit terrible not to give a charity shop a raving review, since any charity shop is worth…read more5 stars for the sake of being charitable, but as my judgement on stock goes this one just didn't cut the mustard. I've been in a few times and it's a little odd, but it feels like they just can't compete with the others nearby and so perhaps just stop trying so much. I'll explain; it's not the shop's fault who donates to them, and as you know, even the best charity shops can come up zilch sometimes for amazing items. But the shop can make a decent effort to display the stock to its best effect. Perhaps it was because, bizarrely, they had a sale on that it felt so untidy and uninteresting? There were cluttered runner rails in the middle of the shop with items casually hung all around, which didn't make for the easiest browsing. But then again, we had visited towards the latter half of the day, so perhaps it had been a busy one. Who can say. The volunteers seemed lovely, anyway, which counts for more than appearance if you're buying so don't be completely put off. Nice staff, not too many great items, but always worth a check.