I believe I have already confessed to my second-hand shopping addiction but I thought I’d post some proof.  Every town I visit has to include some quality charity shop shopping. This is the first of what I hope will be an informal series on second-hand shopping throughout the UK. Now I don’t intend to drive around the country snapping at Oxfam shops on the way. However when I so happen to be in a town, and when armed with a camera, I will attempt to feature a brief summary of the second-hand shops it has to offer. This will probably mean there will be a lot of west country market towns included and not much else. I am also sure there are far better experts in Devizes (Wiltshire) than me – and please do let me know if I need to be corrected on anything!

There’s a very funky coloured Barnardos Shop on the High Street. I spotted this lovely old children’s push along cart with bricks in the window:

The Shaw Trust shop is on the High Street.

The British Heart Foundation shop is located in the central pedestrianised area of Devizes known as The Brittox. Next door is a charity shop, which was new to me, called tenovus. This Cardiff-based charity was set up by ten businessmen (hence the name?) in 1943. Since the 1960s it has devoted its resources to cancer care and research. Its scientists established the use of Tamoxifen to treat breast cancer. It also funds mobile cancer support units. It has 64 charity shops spread across Wales and the South West, in particular Bristol and Bournemouth.

Next door to BHF and tenovus shops was this very pretty shop selling vintage homeware:

While I’m more of a vintage clothes girl there were some very pretty home and garden ware items on sale. I also like this sign:

Scope, in Devizes, is located on Maryport Street.

The Oxfam shop, on Maryport Street (opposite Scope) yielded the only purchase of my trip. My middle daughter is currently reading a library copy of Roald Dahl’s ‘BFG’ so I bought her a copy:

I was tempted by a red dress in the Dorothy House shop on Old Swan Yard, just off the High Street. However, as I am helping to run a Clothes Swap Party tomorrow night I thought I would hold off on all purchases. Kind of regret it though as the dress is haunting me..

Dorothy House is a local Bath and Wiltshire charity that runs a hospice just outside Bradford-on-Avon.

While in Devizes I also came across this recycling shoe bin:

It’s run by United Shoe Company which stresses it is not a charity but a business run for profit. The company collects unwanted shoes and redistributes them in deveoping countries.

Devizes is also home to The Shambles,   an               indoor market space located by the Market Place.  It runs as a general market on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and as an antique market on Tuesdays (when I visited).

Along from the Shambles was the Little House of Coffee where I sat in the sun, had a latte and enjoyed a tasty lunch:

Much needed refreshment after a hard morning spent browsing!