PDSA

For me a charity shop is a charity shop, I tend to go there if they seem to have some decent stock in — from dresses to CDs and kitchen utensils to furniture. I rarely pay too much attention to the charity for which the shop raises funds. By that, I mean, I’ve got much more empathy with Mind and the work it does with mental illness than say Tenovus (largely because I’m not 100 per cent sure on what charity work that one does) anyway, this all goes out the window when it comes to the PDSA. Rarely do I find anything of interest to me in this PDSA but I always, always go in there anyway because I thoroughly support the charity. I also try and donate regularly (clothes and cash). Saying that, this one is always pretty busy so perhaps I’m just getting there at the wrong time — when all the good stuff has gone already.

I actually think this charity shop isn’t half bad — if you’re not after anything flashy. Situated on Whiteladies Road next to the Clifton Shopping Centre, PDSA is apparently a charity for animals in need of vets, but I don’t quite get the acronym. Regardless, I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of decent skirts and a very nice Levi denim jacket, which I’m still kicking myself about not buying.
No matter though, because I’m also tempted by a Lord Of The Rings Trivial Pursuit game, although as I’m no good at regular Trivial Pursuit this may be an error…
Although this shop can’t really compete with the ones on Cotham Hill, it is not without it’s charms. The lady behind the counter was very friendly and the only negative was the batty old woman, apparently a regular, who mumbled the whole way round the shop, complaining about everything, including other shoppers!

‘For pets in need of vets’ — this is PDSA.
I’m not entirely sure what it is exactly that this charity does but it’s the shop not the organisation that I’m reviewing. I suppose if the reason you’re going in here is to support the cause then you’d be going in anyway and this review will be of little significance other than it’s a PDSA shop and it’s there.
If on the other hand you’re going in here for the shopping, trying to nab a bargain like in other charity shops — then you may be disappointed. Aside from a pretty good selection of dog leads and food bowls there really isn’t a lot going for it. The men’s section is virtually non-​existent and the ladies follow suit. If you’re passing then it won’t harm to pop in, but maybe best not make a specific trip.

I’m always on the hunt for a bargain — in fact, half my wardrobe is made up of charity shop bargains that I’ve picked up over the years — so the more, the merrier as far as I’m concerned. Like most stores in this vein, it’s pretty much a no-​hoper for mens trousers (unless you like brown corduroy slacks), but for t-​shirts and jumpers, this place often has a decent selection in from the Cliftonites with more money than sense. It has a fairly decent range of books, too, all for less than £3, so it’s sometimes good to pop in and check out that you haven’t overlooked some classic work of fiction.

Clifton Village is not short on charity shops, covering every bit of Whiteladies Road up to Cotham Hill. But one that you might accidentally overlook is tucked away around the back of Clifton Downs Shopping Centre. PDSA is well stocked with everything from clothes to books with friendly, helpful volunteers at hand to help.
I’ve always found this PDSA shop to be a bit hit and miss. I have found the odd bargain here (namely an almost brand new handbag from Accessorize) but they’re few and far between. Probably better for a slightly older generation than mine as a lot of their donations tend to be from Marks and Spencers and Debenhams.