Barnardo’s

Another of the many, many Charity shops that are dotted along the Harborne High Street. This one has a strange layout that means it feels crowded with only a few punters browsing inside. There is bric-​à-​brac at the front, books and and records in the very narrow middle section and then furniture at the back. As with all charity shops, there is of course a large element of pot luck in terms of what you’ll find, but over the years I’ve picked up the odd gem here, usually from the records and books section, so I always stick my head around the door and have a look inside.
A few years ago a friend bought a bed frame here. The staff were happy to arrange for us to park up and load in around the back and helped us carry the large, wooden pieces to our car, so if you do spot something large and bulky you don’t have to worry about lugging it through the crowded shop and out onto the street where you can’t really park.

This is a great place to come for unusual, sometimes kitschy artwork and pottery. Pictures tend to be originals — watercolours, pastels etc and usually come in a decent frame and at a very cheap price. They have a nice selection of ‘designer labels’ which features more upmarket high street brands like Monsoon and Zara and they always have a decent selection of handbags and ladies clothes. Furniture can be found at the back of the store. This is probably my favourite charity shop in the village and best described as a good ‘all rounder’. Staff are kindly and happy to chat and it always seems busy.

I got some great bargains from here last week. Really worth a browse. If you go in regularly you’ll get a bargain now and then.