susan earlam ~ horror author

So before vintage became a “thing”, ie when it was just used to describe cars and wine, many lovers of previous era’s got their kicks and their bits down at their local charity shop. With the trend of vintage increasing in the last ten years some charity shops have lost their way. Some have put prices up dramatically, even pricing modern garments above what they originally sold for.

The amount of  vintage fans  now setting themselves up as vintage traders has increased, many buying their stock from charity shops. Charity shops have had to adapt to survive, some now even specialising in vintage and retro styles, or perhaps having a section of the shop dedicated to vinyl or vintage wedding dresses.

We’ve covered the new RSPCA shop in Manchester’s Northern Quarter and here we are showing some love to a gorgeous branch of St Ann’s Hospice in Cheadle, a suburb of Stockport. The prices aren’t daft and the service is friendly. Its a clean and well organised charity shop, but best of all is its history.

This charity shop is housed in a former tea rooms and coffee shop called the Premier Cafe open in the 1930’s. The “Ritz of the North” , the shop has managed to retain many of the fixtures and fittings from its former life and has a dedicated vintage area upstairs, which includes a whole room of vintage bridal wear. A healthy looking men’s section, alongside accessories, homewares and kitchenelia makes this a destination charity shop where you are bound to find something to fall in love with.

Cheadle village itself has a plethora of charity shops and is well worth a visit if you are in the mood for a bargain.

To find out more about the story behind the Premier Cafe take a look at Cheadle’s Civic Society website.

Photograph credit to Simon from the fabulous Road, Rail & Sea website.