Yet another of Bangor's many, many chairty shops and a pretty standard one. Its based right on high…read morestreet which means that it is easy to get to and parking usually isn't too bad., If you can't get parked right outside you can pop to the car park behind Donegan's bar or it isn't too long a walk from the large Marina car park. The staff in this wee shop are friendly enough and its nice and big so there is plenty of stuff in here if you enjoy having a bit of a root around for clothes, books, old vinyl or general nick-nacks. Its always nice to shop here because you know the money is going to an excellent cause and its a great place to recycle old clothes and be safe in the knowledge that you are doing your bit.

Being one of the more unusual charity shops in Bangor (ie. the fact that it's a British Red Cross…read moreshop, rather than the actual shop itself), I decided to pop in and have a look. It was pretty busy on this sunny day, and despite the shop being a huge one, there wasn't a whole lot of room for a look. I nearly ended up treading on someone's toes (literally) whilst having a duke through the lady's clothes section, which proved to have nothing of interest anyway, although there was a rather good selection. As for the rest of the shop, well, it was distinctly average in charity shop terms. Not that average is bad, and I'm not too sure what a brilliant charity shop would look like, but still, there wasn't anything too exciting to be found....just the usual CDs, books, furnishings and other bits and bobs. So, my sister and I left it there (as in we decided to leave...we weren't going to be carrying a charity shop around with us anytime soon), and decided to go on our merry way. And that was that. I would definitely call back another, less busy day to check out the stock again. This Red Cross shop definitely has a whole lot of potential.

Another great charity shop for me to have a hoke about in…read more The lady working here wasn't very friendly, in fact she didn't even acknowledge my presence in the shop but hey, that's fine with me. Again a great collection of ladies garments and many from very expensive high street stores such as Jaegar and Karen Millan to name drop a few. Gotta love charity shops in affluent areas. This one is well run and organised as all the clothes are arranged by colour - i've never seen this done before. I had a look through but didn't see anything I wanted that day, though there was a nice pair of wedged sandals from River Island going at the very reasonable price of £3.00 which I may go back for another day. A decent experience and I'd say you would have a good chance of scooping a bargain in here. I said cheerio - she said nothing!

This charity shop brought to you by the people of Marie Curie is one of the best in town. It's…read moredecor is modern and the shop is laid out in such a fantastic way that you wouldn't believe it was a charity shop. The stock is constantly changed which encourages you to always pop in whenever your near by. The one bad thing I'd say about the shop is that there isn't much of a selection for the males of the world. Yes I know that the most regular customers to charity shops are old women or an girl studying art desperate to look unique by dredging through the past but come on!

As far as charity shops go this one is a good one although it's a little bit cluttered and…read moredisorganised. I initially went in here as I spotted something I was after from the outside. When I went in to the store I was shocked about firstly, how busy it was and secondly how all over the place everything was. The strange thing about it was that it was quite exciting riffling through all the bargains looking for treasure. I was actually looking for some picture frames and there were certainly a lot on offer as well as loads of other furniture. The only problem with the store was the lack of staff, I suppose this is because the saints who work their are mainly volunteers and they do a fantastic job - they just need more! Barnardo's is conveniently located on Bridge Street, just a few hundred yards from the City Centre. You should pop in and have a wee hoke through all the gear - you might just find something you like/probably don't need but end up buying anyway.

This shop is just brilliant. I'm writing this with the telly on in the background, a telly picked…read moreup at Barnardo's for only a fiver. And there wasn't even a pushing match with my flatmate of the time either, as he got one for four quid at the same time. They're portables, obviously, but there are usually proper sized tellies there for about twenty quid. Check this place out first before you go near Cash Converters! The shop also sells electrical goods such as fridges and cookers for very good prices, although not for a fiver unfortunately, and it's the first place I'd come to if I had to kit out a new house. They have a vast collection of DVDS, and a very impressive and perfectly catalogued range of books. There's also some really nice costume jewellery, most of which looks individual and not a chain-store knockoff, framed pictures and general household bits and bobs, as well as plenty of clothes and shoes. As with most charity shops there's not much in the clothing or shoes range for our male friends, alas, but the amount of bargains in all the other categories should keep everyone happy.

As I've said before, I really enjoy a good old snoop around a charity shop. You just never know…read morewhat you might find. This Cancer Research shop had some pretty nice clothes. Ok, some of it you'd never be seen dead in, and normally you might have to look in 3 out of 4 shops until you find something you really want to buy, but that's what I love about it. The utter randomness of the paraphernalia sold within. I talked to a lovely woman called Pearl in here who volunteers most of her week to ensure the shop is kept running in ship shape condition. This shop is really neatly laid out with all the items in their proper place and clearly labelled prices. As per usual it was full of local old biddies calling in for some chit chat, but I did notice one rather well off lasy enquiring about an ornament in the window. Maybe she's on to a good one! Lucky her! Why don't you take a pop in and try your luck? At least you'll be giving to charity. Good samaritan.

: I was sent here to choose some clothes for a charity fashion show I was taking part in, as they…read morehad a 'boho-chic-charity section' where all the clothes had to be from a charity shop. Not sure if this was a good idea or not, and worried I wouldn't find anything in my size that hadn't been donated by a plus size Granny, I ventured to the Oxfam Castle Street branch with some trepidation. Was pleasantly surprised. Very much so - especially to know that they have a little changing room to try things on, and also that they had a Vintage selection of clothes. Yes, genuine vintage too and some of the items were really lovely and I wished they were in my size - in the end I settled for a bright red ankle length gypsy skirt covered in tiny glass beads an mirrors sewn into the fabric - with a white blouse and thick black belt. It was stylish and flattering and it totally changed my perception of shopping in charity shops. I think I will go back and see if they have anything new in - I would recommend we all go into our local charity shop with an open mind, drop our preconceptions and maybe even pick up a few bargains.

I'm not generally the biggest fan of charity shops. I think I just don't have the patience to hoke…read morethrough looking for gems (this is why I don't do well at outlets or shops like TK Maxx either). For this reason, I tend to steer clear of shops like Oxfam, only going in if I'm specifically looking for something old (sorry, vintage),a nd to be fair, this shop isn't terrible. It does stock its fair share of awful, shoulder-padded monstrosities, but the vintage section is often worth going in to look at. If you have the patience!

This particular Restore shop focuses on house stuff and bikes…read more The items have had previous owners. The Restore staff have fixed anything with the items that may have been wrong and put them for sale in the shop. A great place to pick up some furniture. The shop is really big. So there is always space for big items like sofas and tables.

We got a matching three seater sofa and two chairs in perfect condition, literally looked like it…read morejust came out of a shop, still has the plastic on the foot rests of the recliners . Fraction of the price that a furniture store would have been. I think they sometimes get shop clearance items given to them. Furniture is hit and miss and the good stuff sells really quickly . Don't worry about getting anything you buy home they can deliver as they have a van, good too if your donating anything big. Also good if your after a cheap bike .

Always plenty of staff in here…read more There are two changing rooms compared to the usual one in charity shops. This shop is exceptional for their displays on the window and around the shop. They have a good range of bric a brac. The shop is located half way up the Belmont rd. Near Olivers coffee shop.