Seven Charity Shops to Visit in Lytham

I’ve become a little obsessed with charity shops lately. It’s guilt free indulgence; re-cycling whilst donating to good causes. What’s not to like?

You may think charity shopping belongs to your college days; trust me, there are still plenty of great finds for those of ‘a certain age’ to create a unique style.

A word of warning though; the bigger charity shops are now proper retail businesses. You won’t necessarily find dirt cheap items, although some names will certainly be more of a bargain used.

Brands like Primark have conditioned us to expect clothing for nothing. A cursory search online shows this is an illusion. Someone, somewhere is living a rubbishy life so we can look nice for an evening.

Of course, many of the clothes in charity shops were created in dubious circumstances, but at least we are re-using precious resources. You can always transform things too. I’m fairly rubbish at sewing, but a couple of easy alterations to a hem, for example, can create a whole new piece which will be worn for years.

I’m always on the search for true vintage, and once upon a time the charity shops used to be a great resource. These days, the popularity of vintage means savvy volunteers have marked anything vaguely ‘vintage’ for sale online or in other spots.

However, this just adds to the joy of a hunt for scarce items.

So here’s my review of the charity shops in Lytham. Not the cheapest charity shops by a long chalk, but certainly a lot more interesting than the big shopping areas.

Brian’s House and Trinity Hospice

Trinity has three shops in town, and multiple others across the area. All of them have revamped up with bougie interiors. The one next to the chippie is the most designer led and hence the most expensive. It does the best windows in town, but clothes are a bit ‘conservative lady’ for my taste, so if that’s you then knock yourself out!

The other Trinity shop is Attire, which is a menswear shop, and absolutely worth a look if you’re a bloke or shopping for one. It’s up the far end of the high st, not far from the County Pub.

The third in the trinity is Brian’s House, which is one of my new favourites, although I still haven’t got over it replacing Age Concern. There’s always a great collection of spangly dresses in, as well as the usual books and bits and bobs. The shop itself feels like a vintage boutique, although sadly I haven’t yet sourced a vintage gem here. I do go in at least once a week, maybe even a couple of times, because there’s always lovely new stuff to rifle through. Head here for your Christmas jumpers too!

 

Oxfam
I go into Oxfam at least once a week. Mostly there are no vintage gems on offer, but there is always new stock and it has the usual mix of books, vinyl, and Fairtrade products. It’s a good spot for birthday cards too, plus you can always buy some worry dolls if nothing else takes your fancy! I have had some great vintage finds, but only in the week before the annual 1940s weekend sadly, when I’m actually in shopping heaven.

British Heart Foundation
It’s next door to Oxfam and is becoming one of my most visited charity shops. They have lots of stock, including new fascinators if you need one for a wedding. Again, there is a great selection of books, bric-a-brac and cds. I’ve never seen anything vintage here, mostly the clothes are high street brands, but they have ever changing stock, with some fun things.

Barnardo’s
This is the big one on the corner. It has loads of  stock, some quite random, from new fake flowers to old curtains and cushions. The big drawback for me is you can’t try anything on, so it’s a bit tricky unless it’s a cardie or something. You can bring them back if they don’t fit, but personally I’d feel weird doing that in a charity shop.There are book upstairs along with vinyl. If you’re up for a book rummage, there are always books outside; you can get five for a pound which is is bargain in anyone’s book! Talking vintage, I recently had an old 60s vanity case from there, complete with red fancy interior.

Cancer Research
Apart from Oxfam, this is my other favourite, mainly because I live in anticipation of topping a perfect vintage find I had from there; a late 60s maxi length skirt in a very Liberty-like pattern.

They have lots of good quality clothes in here, from names such as Monsoon and Ghost. Some unusual things, and it’s all beautifully colour coordinated.