Mary’s Living and Giving Shop Primrose Hill

It’s a beautiful unique flag ship charity shop, one of the remaining shops used to showcase Mary Portas’s TV show “Mary, Queen of shops” a few years back when retail business guru took on the challenge to revive and revitalise the nations “Save The Children” charity shop chain and encourage us all to shop secondhand and recycle more.

It’s in the beautiful picturesque north london suburb of Primrose Hill where quite a few TV actors and celebrities hang out, John Snow from channel 4 news, Claudia Winkleman and Mary Portas herself I’ve actually said hello to walking her dog in nearby Regents Park, so if you are a visitor looking for somewhere interesting to go a bit off the beaten tourist track of Camden Lock, it’s a very quick walk over the railway bridge from Chalk Farm tube station.

The prices aren’t super low as they get donations from actual design house like Alexander McQueen. I’ve bought a pair of brand new Chanel boots for £300 and a Fendi cuff for £80. The goods they sell are very high end but they also have a sale rail and a bargain bucket which if you are lucky like me you might find brand new Michael Kors sneakers.

The volunteers are friendly. There’s a great curated book section in the cute reading room at the back and you can buy hand poured scented candles 175g that are really very good quality for under £15 when an equivalent branded one would cost about £35.