It is my melancholy duty to inform you officially that the St Vincent de Paul shop at Curtin is closing this week.
There is to be an afternoon tea on Thursday 31 May at 3pm for those who would like to attend. I am very sad not to be able to go.
When I found out last Saturday that it would be my last time there I almost cried. I rang TSS immediately - knowing it's a favourite of hers, too. Sounds silly - it's only an op-shop.
It's been in a basement at the Curtin shops for as long as I can remember. When I was a very small girl, Mum used to buy Fletcher Jones' kilts and trousers and cut them down into dresses and pants for me, and pants for my brother. She used to buy jumpers there, unravel, wash and re-knit them into woollies for all of us.
When I was at college it was on my route home (well, to my boyfriend's home, then mine) and was a major source of funky vintage clothes, records, fabrics and accessories. I still have my first Akubra hat bought there and somewhere there is a 1950s school leather satchel that started a craze for them among my friends. Quite a bit of my marquisite jewellry came from Vinnies Curtin. I bought my eldest godson his first paisley shirt there in the 1980s and more recently I've bought books for BookCrossing and wool and needles for creating. Mothers of old friends were volunteers there and it's still a source of clothing.
It isn't just an op-shop - it's part of my life and I will miss it.
6 comments:
oh that is sad. Do you know why it's closing? I've been there myself but not in a long time. It's awful when our favourite haunts are no more.
I felt the same when Impact closed.
It's so sad when a favorite place closes - especially one with so many memories. I'm hopeless with op shops, I missed out on that shopping gene. I cannot see past the junk to unearth the treasures!
Officially it's closing because the lease is up and Vinnies rarely lease properties; they usually own them.
Given that they just sold a property in Queanbeyan and are now leasing in Monaro St, that's a bit of a fib.
There is obviously a reorganisation of their op-shop business going on. They are definitely moving towards a more up-market look and this will be the 3rd shop they've closed (or radically scaled back) in the last 12 months.
Oh no! I've been going there forever! I haven't been as often lately - but when my two were babies, it was my favourite place to get clothes for them. Bugger :(
You know, that is an absolute shame. I've never had the patience for op-shopping - instant gratification for me, rather than searching and discovering an absolute gem. Although I've always wished I could - you've had some awesome finds!!
Very sorry to hear that it is closing. It isn't just an opshop! And I'd lay a pretty hefty bet that there are quite a number of people that would feel the same about it being part of their life.
:(
I know what you mean - there's something about a good op shop, and the things you found there, and the fun of the hunt...I can still associate finds and shops too.
Which are your favourite Canberra op shops? I usually get to Canberra at least once a year, and it would be good to know the biggest/best/most intriguing/most rewarding ones, whatever!
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