Another lively clothes-sorting session at the Community Hospice Shop with Caroline and Ann, all under the watchful eye of James. While we’re surrounded by everything from hoovers to hairdryers, musical instruments to power tools—and books galore—our mission is clear: sort the clothes!

Our sorting categories? Excellent, Good, Not Bad, Bad and ugh! It’s remarkable what turns up. Some donations are so stylish and classy and sometimes whole bags full and it makes you wonder why someone would offload such lovely stuff. Then there's stuff on the other end of the scale. I don't dwell on it though because there's lots more to sort!

The three hours fly by as we laugh and chat, especially when we uncover something utterly bizarre—items of clothing that defy logic. No labels, no clues, and no obvious way of getting into them! It's like trying to solve a textile puzzle. Who wears this stuff? More importantly—how?

The job is an education in fashion, function, and the fantastic creativity of designers. One minute it’s a cashmere coat, the next it’s... well, we're not entirely sure. But whatever it is, it keeps things fun.