Walking through the doors of shop is like literally taking a step back in time. Everything from the…read morefurniture to the shop assistants look as though they've come from the swinging sixties. This is a little slice of retro happiness on the Christmas Steps. They stock everything from home ware to jewellery making it a vintage girl's paradise. Not only is Shop one of the best shops that Bristol has to offer, but they also hold gig and film nights where they'll serve you hot buttered pop corn and cups of tea. Keep an eye on the website for an event that takes your fancy and then try it out for yourself.

A lot of shops have come and gone on Christmas Steps, but this little vintage shop has kept its…read morechirpy little doors open. Focusing on modern vintage ('70s to '90s with a few nods to '50s and '60s) the first room has carefully displayed homeware and little nick-nacks. Owners Jayne and Brett are always there with a 'hello' - they always look so damn happy! - and the lounge music will usher you in smoothly to the back room. Here you will find some good retro clothes, particularly nice are the accessories and brooches available. TOP TIP: Pick up a 'shop-fir-mation' from the bowl at the back, a pick-me-up fortune cookie message in SHOP's unique style.

St Peter's Hospice has about 50 shops in the Bristol area, all raising money for the charity which…read moresupports and looks after adults with a terminal illness. There are a lot of charity shops on East Street in Bedmo so some of them are going to suffer. As charity shops go this is OK for clothes and bric a brac, as St Peter's Hospice charity shops go it isn't the most well furnished so if you are going to support this charity then dig out one of their other stores.

Every time I go to St Peter's Hospice I always go in thinking I'll just look and I promise I won't…read morebuy anything unless I love it and it fits be perfectly. Came away again yesterday with another dress £4.75 and it fits perfectly. There was also a beautiful Jasper Conran summer dress for a fiver! Bargain. However it was sadly 1 size too large for me. There are nice lockable changing rooms, a change from the sketchy curtain rail in the corner that is in most charity shops and the volunteer staff are sweet. The rule of charity stores is check regularly as you never know what you are going to find, I have been lucky and always found something good in here.

Uncle Sam's has been here for as long as I can remember, and I do quite like it, but despite saying…read morethat, I haven't actually bought anything from here. It is a fairly small shop, a beacon to vintage lovers on Park Street. They sell records, leather wallets, jackets, 80s dresses, cut off levis.. anything vintage that pops in your head, they do have it here. You do have to dig abit to find things though, which just adds to the fun. This is somewhere I always pop by to have a browse, always expecting to find something awesome, but never really do. Maybe that is because the prices are quite steep; rising with the rise of the love of vintage fashion these days.

From the outside it looks as though Uncle Sam's is going to be the best offering that Park Street…read morehas. A classic American vintage sign, a window full of Levis and checked flannel shirts, but it's best not to judge a book by its cover. (Or a vintage clothes store by its window!) I love a bit of a rummage through piles of retro clothing, but the interesting finds here are so few are far between that it doesn't make your wait worth-while. On the whole, I find that men do better here than women with some fantastic leather jackets and belts to be had. Just be prepared to pay a hefty price for some of the better pieces. It's worth a look for die-hard vintage clothes fans, but personally I prefer to save my pennies and go rooting around Bristol's fabulous charity shops. Cheaper, with added feel good factor!

Scope is a UK disability organisation whose focus is on people with cerebral palsy…read more One of the best charity shops in the Bedminster high street, with space for a lot of clothes and bric a brac. Although you won't find anything of fashion in here all items are of a very good quality.

The staff here are nice and friendly and the clothes are quite spread out so its easier to move…read morearound than some of the other charity shops in the area. It does have a changing room in the middle of the store which has a curtain rail, I'm always convinced people can see me changing, if I can see out, surely other people can see in! Luckily I'm not an overly modest person ;-) Unlike some of the other charity shops it tends to have a fairly standard range of high street clothes. It does stock a good bit of primark clothes, I don't really like paying almost the same price for a 2nd hand item that I would if I bought it new in Primark. Then again, that's probably saying a bit more about how Primark are able to sell their stuff so riduculously cheaply. I have found a few bits and pieces here, trousers and books at very reasonable prices. There was a lovely black dress from River Island in there last week selling for under a fiver, when you consider how much you pay for high street prices, you can find some cheap gems here.

Cats Protection League is a charity that rescue and re-home cats and kittens in the Bristol area,…read morewith volunteers fostering animals in their own homes until they find new owners. I would really love to give this a better score, as the charity is amazing but the shop is quite run down even by charity shop standards. Maybe this should be a call for everyone to donate nice good to them so they can make it better! What they do have is a nice shop window display with news about cats needing homes - so if you can't visit them online you can catch up the Bristol district's news here.

The UK's primary feline welfare charity, Cat's Protection re-home and reunite thousands of cats and…read morekittens every year through their network of adoption centres and voluntary-run branches. Although you may well find some bargains here, this is definitely the least appealing of North Street's small selection of charity shops. On the few occasions I've frequented this place, there has been little else but extra large sized women's t-shirts and a few pots of old face cream. However, I don't want to slate a good cause, and the beauty of charity shops is that you never know what donations will arrive from one day to the next. So you might as well have a gander!

If you delight in fabric and textiles, you'd be foolish not to visit The Nylon Shop. One of…read moreBedminster's gems, this place is a guaranteed dream come true for anyone who enjoys getting wacky with a needle and thread. Boasting a host of diverse fabrics, including drapes of all colours of the rainbow to scarves, patches, dresses, scraps, reels of cotton and much more, The Nylon Shop is a great place to go for fancy dress ideas. I bought a sassy little number from here, which I refer to as my cow outfit (hoping I don't resemble too much of a heifer in it though): a white, fluffy ensemble with black spots dotted across it, this bizarre little costume saved me from trite fancy dress last halloween - and it was only a fiver! If you're looking for fabric you never envisaged in your wildest dreams, this is your shop...

Tenovus is a Welsh founded cancer charity, and has many a shop amongst Bristol's streets. North…read moreStreet's shop tends to get some quality donations, and is a great place to go bargain hunting. If you're one of life's book worms, the shop stocks a large selection of books, and is also one of the better charity outlets for picking up old school vinyl. All at bargain prices, too. What more could you ask for?

PDSA is a veterinary charity offering care for pets of people in need…read more Corner shop at the end of East Street - quite a good one on a street that is heavy with charity shops with clothes and bric a brac. It has quite a good selection of toys and games.

I used to skip my PDSA while on my charity run as I wasn't seeing very much in here. The shop is…read morequite small and gets busy. However, pass by at your peril. A few months ago I found a Zandra Rhodes dress, new with tags on for a fiver!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best charity shop bargain ever! Moral of the story is, its always worth checking out from time to time. You may not be as lucky as me, but there is often something to catch your fancy. The volunteers here are always sweet and friendly. Had a lovely chat with a volunteer here about music a while back.

Picton Street is a wonderful little place, filled with delectable delis, cafes, grocery stores and…read morecurious little shops like Bohemia. There's long been a tradition of vintage clothes shopping on Picton Street and Bohemia is the latest in a long line. It's colourfully crammed window is bound to tempt you in for a fascinating browse amongst in costume jewellery and items of kitsch chic. There's a great variety of hats, scarves, bags and vintage clothes, if you're into the current Burlesque trend, then Bohemia is definitely worth checking out. Open Tuesday to Saturday.