Sunday 27 January 2013

A Bee in my Bonnet

Yes, tis true, I have a Bee in my Bonnet.
Well, I don't actually have a bee in my bonnet, truth be told I don't even have a bonnet. I do have a beret though (there is no bee in that either before you ask).
Once, my mum had a bee in her blouse. She had to rip it right open to release the bee. This all occurred in the Cooperative supermarket at the bottom of our road.
I don't remember much from my seventh year but this memory remains very clear.....


Anyway, back to me and my bee if we may.

My bee is charity shop donations/ donors. As you know, I volunteer at a local shop and I have to tell you that I am shocked by the contents in some of the bags we receive through the door.
Sometimes, more times than you would believe, we receive a bag of rubbish. Honestly, it will be just domestic waste. Packaging, old papers and bills. Broken toys or ornaments.
Do people think that we could sell this or that we are all highly talented restorers of all things damaged.


The thing is this, the charity shop has to pay to have the rubbish removed but it is free to use ones local dump....know what I mean.

I really wish that there could be some sort of TV campaign that would outline the charity donations do's and dont's. I think the obvious rule is 'would you buy it?'.
Anyway, I will stop my bee buzzing for now and share some back room pics of  my charity shop.

The rag corner. All destined for the ragman.


Bags!

Bric a brac
Electrical. Waiting to be PAT tested

Shoes.


What do you think?
It is pretty bad on these pics truth be told, post Christmas clear outs have lead to a huge amount of donations. It is very much a case of 'shoveling snow whilst it is still snowing'.
I have decided to do a new regular (ahem) post about the charity shop. It will be a lot more interesting than this one, don't panic.
It is going to be a 'look what I could have had' kind of thing.
During my day at the shop I will take pics of things that are rather tempting, maybe valuable or just plain interesting and share them with you on this here blog.
I am well aware that this could lead to a "could you get that for me" situation and I will, if that situation occurs, do my very best.

Today I am to be a Busy Miss Lizzy. I have a very important day tomorrow, I will report all at some point. It is such an important day that I actually had my eye brows threaded last night....Blimey!!
Tell you a little secret, don't tell Mr Betty I told you.
The nice lady eye brow threader said that Mr Bettys eyebrows were unruly so guess what...Yes! you guessed correctly, Mr Betty had a bitta eye brow threading too. Hilarious, you should have heard the groaning during, and for approximately 2 hours after. Never again.

Anyhows, that is all for now, must plough on.
Thanks for reading. x



13 comments:

  1. Really looking forward to your charity shop posts. Do you remember the Mary Portas charity shop campaign, she said pretty much the same things about the amount of sheer rubbish that people dump in the name of "donating".

    I dont really think my DH would go for eye brow threading, too much of a wimp ha ha ha!!

    Helenxx

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  2. I always imagine that working in a charity shop would be like working in a treasure chest - maybe a bit rose tinted - but it must be soul destroying to see what some people pass on. Naughty people! Hopefully this is only a small percentage of what you get. Love those Christmas baubles x

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  3. I used to work in a charity shop years ago...we certainly got a lot of rubbish but I always brought something home with me. Was good back then when I was a skint student but there's no way I could do it now...my house is already bursting! Ta for the laugh about the eyebrow threading...my man's eyebrows are out of control but there's no way he'd go for that! Good luck tomorrow whatever it is! x

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  4. I look forward to reading your charity shop posts. It must be very difficult to be polite to people when you know that they are just giving you rubbish and hard work. Jx

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  5. hysterical eyebrow control for him! like the idea of charity shop finds, saves me going. But seriously there must be some good pickings now and again! Heather x

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  6. I always wash and iron my donations (clothes that is, not the bric-a-brac!) but we're not all the same.
    Sally x

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  7. Hi Emma I always thought it would be great fun working in a charity shop and getting first dibs at all the goodies but I suppose this is the downside ... I once heard about someone unpacking a bag that had been donated and it was full of dirty nappies! Hate to think that the real donations were sent to landfill by mistake, but maybe not! I have my eyebrows threaded and I don't even flinch ... upper lip has the tears streaming down my face! Tell Mr Betty to try that one.

    Hope your important day went well and look forward to hearing about it!

    Claire xxx

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  8. That's mad, some people really don't think! Good luck for you important day xx

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  9. Hello Mrs!
    My best friend worked in a charity shop and always had 'Bees' in her bonnet for the very same reasons as YOU!
    Peeps just seem to want to unload..... and every so often she would find a little treasure or two!
    Had a chuckle at the Mr and his eyebrows..hehe!
    Love Maria x

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  10. Well said!! I totally agree with you, some people just seem to think that charity shops are dumping grounds. Love your blog by the way and looking forward to reading more posts!! Karen :)

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  11. Do so much agree dear Oooh Betty - I take lots of bags of stuff to our local charity shop and it is very nice stuff too - the sort of stuff that I would like to buy back in fact! Mary Portas did that series about charity shops didn't see and exposed the horrifying contents of some bags. Some people!
    Grrrr

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  12. Thank you for popping over to my little blog via IG!
    I am INSANELY jealous of your little fella Maurice!

    In relation to the above post, sat here laughing at your "bee in blouse" story! Ha ha! And on the serious side " dirty, skanky buggers" (sorry for outburst)! for dumping actual rubbish at charity shops! Shocking. xx

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  13. Hello! Just found your blog through Winnibriggs - love her badger! I do sorting at one of my local charity shops and I so agree with you. My pet hates are clothes covered in dog/cat hair (unintended pun there), or stuff that is pretty good but reeks of smoke or mildew. Oh, and mud caked trainers! I think some donators imagine we have enormous washing machines and an army of iron-ready volunteers, but as we don't, these things usually can't be put in the shops. But no doubt if CSs gave 'guidelines' there'd be complaints that they're not grateful for what they're given. Anyway, will look forward to seeing the treasures you find - I thought about doing the same on my blog but never remember to take my camera!
    x

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