We've had absolutely tons of donations in today, and one guy said he was turning away from Circulate, Steel House, other charity shops.
He said he'd been to five and he was turned away.
Always bring it to us.
Bring it to us first.
There's no messing around with us.
If it's dirty, unclean, broken or whatever, you need to message me first.
For example, a pram.
If it's dirty, we're not going to take it.
But we very rarely turn stuff down.
Very rarely turn stuff down.
I'm going to try and take pictures of these after so you can see what authors we got.
And we might be able to post the books out for you then as well.
But we've got tons of donations.
We've had some good feedback on Pontypool Shop.
How much better it's looking.
And that's good because it's still full of stock.
So that's brilliant that is.
But do me a favour.
Don't just tell me.
Mention it to staff because they're the ones that do the work.
They're nice, aren't they?
But also give the councillor a ring and tell them how much has improved.
Because they're getting nasty complaints all the time about us.
They've got to look at them and say, well, should we try this one this week?
So it'd be nice for them to hear.
Or pram dresses.
I'll try and take pictures.
And we'll try and get a list of sizes and prices as well on the wall with this so you can see them.
Give them a shout as well and say it's looking a lot better in Jayne's Baby Bank.
Because all they get... Oh, look at this coming today.
I couldn't even lift it.
I was like, I've got no strength because I'm soiled.
I was like...
Oh God, kill somebody with that.
I literally like couldn't lift that.
But yeah, give the councillor a ring and say to them, I've gone in the shop today and I think it looks really good.
And I'm a genuine customer, you know.
Because again, a lot of people who are not genuine customers like the lady we highlighted the other week, her daughter had been on the phone begging me to take her picture off because she's a local artist.
I'm like, no, I'm a local artist.
Turning all of this into fundraising.
Think about it now before you pick on somebody else's business.
Think about it.
Because it can come back on you tenfold, can't it?
So anyway, the doctor's going to check me for Crohn's disease.
Now I didn't think I had Crohn's disease.
So I don't know why he's looking at me thinking I've got Crohn's disease.
I've got to go back and have more blood tests and a poop test.
And they're going to test me for celiac as well.
Beautiful stuff we've had in Ted Baker.
Can't get it now.
Gone.
Ted Baker's gone.
Those shoes today, they're like £300 and odd online.
Look, the Motley Crouat.
We'd have some nice stuff in, I tell you what.
Look at that.
Do we take... oh is that somebody messaging me then?
Yeah, we do.
Take kids... whatever you were saying.
Kids, whatever.
Mario there, look.
Got some vintage kinder.
Look, a vintage Scooby.
But yeah, yeah, so I've been unwell again.
So thank you to the staff for supporting me while I've been unwell.
Because there's been a few days where I've had to go home to bed because I'm dressed unwell.
But fingers crossed now.
That's a nice one with the umbrellas on, isn't it?
That's a nice one if you're going away.
You know you go away for these rugby parties or whatever.
That's a good one to have, isn't it?
And the dress.
Yeah, so I've got to be tested for that now.
They smell lush, they do.
Really nice.
But yeah, well done to the staff and thank you for supporting me because I'm not well.
I'm not well on a good day.
Oh, and I've got folate deficient anemia.
It's going to happen and they're going to have every anemia under the sun because I've got aplastic anemia.
So it's just going to get worse.
But I sat by you.
I finished off those bags today because I could see Sammy had started them.
I thought if they don't get finished today, then somebody's going to move all the clothes around off the bags.
And I had to sit there and pack the bags and I thought I'm going to go home now because I'm still unwell.
That's how I felt this morning when I came in and I was...
Anybody think I smoke 60 a day?
I was like...
But that's not having oxygen in your blood, that is, look.
So yeah, I've got folate deficiency anemia.
Oh, I tell you what.
I haven't got much going for me, have I?
I'm high maintenance.
I really am high maintenance.
Some days I've got to winch myself out of bed.
I'm like, oh my God, keep going, keep going.
I find it easier, see, to keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going.
Cat nap, keep going.
Then go home.
I have a bath.
That takes it out of me.
And then collapse on the bed.
And then I can't move.
I'm like...
And I'm freezing cold all the time.
Freezing.
This is awful, this is being cold like this all the time.
Because I can't get nothing done, because I need to warm up first.
It's getting me down being cold all the time now.
I'm going to buy one.
Obviously those, they look like sleeping bags, but it's like a person.
So you look like the Michelin man when you're walking around.
I'm going to get one of them, if you see me in one of them.
Nice socks there.
Starting to come together now, in here.
Like the socks are dangling off some basket up there, weren't they, the other day.
Some ornament.
Off the end of an ornament.
So it's starting to come together now.
And that's what the customers are saying.
And a lady just been downstairs.
And I went downstairs earlier.
It looks fantastic.
So well done, guys.
It's not easy to keep on top of this.
It's not like a normal charity shop.
I got a lady, Lisa, now, just come in and said it's looking a lot better.
And she's going to flexi vol now.
She's like, oh yeah, I'm going to come in and help her now.
Because she can see it coming together.
And she's like, yeah, I can do this now.
I can go in a corner by there and do that.
So that's great, you know.
But we're not a normal charity shop.
See, we're not a charity shop.
But we're not normal second hand slash charity shop, are we?
You know, there's a lot of stock movement goes on here in a week.
Oh, the snake.
I love the snakes.
I love that one up there.
But yeah, well done, guys, and thank you so much for supporting me when I am being well.
Because if I was you on my own, I'd have to shut the shops, wouldn't I?
Because I am being well at all.
I thought there was a plant grown out of that then.
There's a plant grown out of one downstairs.
And I don't know how it is grown out of it because there's no light.
Got some brilliant stuff in for you, please.
Man just said, now, first time we've been in here, he said, oh, I'm coming back here.
He said, I've only got an hour.
Just wanted these three hours in here now.
I was like, we've got a shop in Blackwood as well.
He's like, oh, never.
I was like, yeah, get up there.
I said, we'll be reopening Risca.
I got a couple of staff out at the moment due to a family illness.
And it being Easter and things.
But soon as we get past that now, we'll be back opening Risca.
That's a nice pattern, isn't it?
Back opening Risca.
Yeah, so well done, guys.
Well done, everybody.
You know, everybody is working tremendously hard.
Well, I'm flicking off at the side here, but they're keeping it going.
They're propping it up and keeping the wheels turning, isn't they?
Which is the main thing.
You know, it's not for me.
This is for you and the other mothers.
This is the legacy that we're creating.
Yeah?
That you don't need these massive corporations to do this and help each other.
You know, you can do it together.
Mothers together, women together.
You know, families together, people together.
Yeah?
We can do it together.
You don't need these massive charities creaming it off the top all the time.
Look how greedy they decay.
You can see what they're like, these small charities.
There's never one being shut down this week.
Can't wait for that one to come out.
There's Biggie.
I like Biggie in the suit.
Leave me in the suit.
I tell you what we could do for Biggie is a police uniform.
He'd look good in a police uniform.
Oh, I love that dress.
Look at her with the little leased legs on.
Some lovely stuff again, you know, look.
You've got to come in the shop and you've got to be prepared to look.
You've got to be prepared to say right.
I'm going to get down here and I'm going to look.
You know, we're desperate for a donation centre over here.
I'm desperate for people to run my other one.
And I'm desperate for loads of other stuff.
Oh, I think I've got a delivery here.
Delivery coming in.
