I have a thing about Foyers!  I notice them.  Not everybody does but those of us who do, we notice everything about them and if the foyer, reception desk or entry way is unclean and messy not much else touches us.  As a business or charity or other organisation, you may have the mindset that you need a lot of money to make your place look good but these things can be achieved with little or no money.  It doesn't cost much to keep things clean and barely anything to keep things tidy.  Whether we like it or not, first impressions count.  People do judge books by their cover.  A messy foyer, unclean bathrooms and untidy entry ways send a message that you just can’t be bothered. You might care a lot but how are we to know?  I’m too busy thinking about that grotty table or messy reception desk for the next hour!  Foyers and Receptions need to be neat and tidy, clean, warm and welcoming.

We have  a mechanic, we have had him for years and one of the reasons I am so happy with him, isn't just the superior reliable and trustworthy service he gives but his office is immaculent.
I think to myself if these people look after their desk so good they are certainly looking after my car!

OP shopping ... Again!  Oh and Coffee!

As a girl I spent many summers in my Mothers home town of Goulburn.  I think part of my soul still belongs there though all my loved ones have either passed on or left the area.

Back in the day my maternal grandmother went to the Salvation Army Women's Home League every week. All the ladies would come laden with some kind of food they'd baked, to share.  From memory, these would have been the best morning teas I have ever had the pleasure of partaking.  Those Salvo women knew how to cook! 

On Tuesday this week our May OP Shop Sampler took place .... 
The trip took in a number of OP shops in the Upper Ross area.  (Do they still call it the Upper Ross?)  Oh well, old habits die hard!

We rifled through the stands at the Adra OP Shop located close to the Ross Hotel and scoured the St Vinnies on Golloglys Lane... picking up a skirt for my daughter, some ribbon for my gift baskets, a tiny dish (I like collecting these for things like soy sauce and the like) and my best find - Two little salt and pepper shakers still in their packaging, never opened, and looking like new.   
  
Both of these OP shops are well worth a visit, they are clean, bright and have lots to offer. 

The highlight of the morning for me, was enjoying a great Cappuccino, complete with Barista styling, at the Riverway Salvation Army Coffee Shop on Beck Drive, Condon.  

Their Community Café is open every Monday and Tuesday between 9.30am to 12.30pm.  They provide a scrumptious morning tea and there are racks of second hand clothing to browse with all items priced at $2.  On Tuesday, they had free bread and oranges for those who needed some ... I took home two oranges for my citrus loving daughter.  

I'm still thinking about how much I liked being there.. After all these years they still have it!  I felt a little like how I used to feel when I went along with my Grandma to her Home League group!  

There is a genuine warmth about the place and the people working there are hard working, kind and industrious.  I also liked the fact that it is a church and its a buzz on a weekday morning with all kinds of life happening.

Our group was treated so well and I am planning on a return visit... soon !
 

The Concierge Suggests ... Community Café, Riverway Salvos 49 - 61 Beck Drive Condon. 

Op Shopping ... well a little

Once I would have told you that I never went Op shopping.  I barely darkened the door of one.  Okay maybe I have sneaked into one or two over the years to spy their bookshelves, but for the most part I was not an Op shopper! 

I remember a sister in law visiting from Melbourne once with the promise of days of shopping.  I was looking forward to it.  I can still see us in the car, me steadily weaving through the traffic, visions of beautiful department stores and gift shops and coffee shops in my mind!  Until her voice chimed into my reverie,  'First stop, the Op Shop on Anne Street.'  Thus began a day of being dragged from one op shop to the next.  Thankfully there weren't many op shops in Townsville in those days but the few there were she managed to spend the entire day at and to bring home lots of 'great finds' (her words.)

Even then my view on Op Shops did not change.

But then, my daughter, a girl brought up on a steady diet of department stores and coffee shops, decided that she loves Op Shops and any day is a good day to scout around in one. 

I have to admit she is right along with all the other folk who love Op Shopping, though I'm still very cautious about the prices at some of them... not everything in an Op shop is a bargain you know!

There's been a few lucky finds.  We found two beautiful dresses once, still with their retail tags on them.  My daughter insisted she needed them both to wear to our friend, Julie's wedding.  At $6 each they were a true bargain especially if the tags were true.  Then there was the Mikasa vase.  It was still in its box and marked $3.  I bought it and zoomed home as fast as my little legs (well car) could carry me, feeling a little guilty for it!  And the most recent find has been this 1963 Raggedy Anne book in brilliant condition and only $3.
 

I suppose it is those kind of finds and that feeling that there could be something really special for the finding at the next Op shop that makes Op Shopping so attractive.  Whatever it is, Op Shopping is in and Townsville has quite a few of them to choose from.

My favourite would be the little St Vinnies located at the Edison Street shops in Wulguru.  This St Vinnies is pretty cute and very clean.  The volunteer staff are very nice and there's always something new to look at.  It's open from 9am to 4pm weekdays and 9am to 12 noon on Saturdays and If you are peckish you'll find a cake shop next door who also make coffee. 

This year Your Personal Concierge - Townsville is running a series of neighbourhood Op shop tours.  Our next one is taking place on Tuesday the 26th of May and will take in some of the known and lesser known Op Shops in the Condon/Rasmussen area.  The cost is $5 per person which includes a cup of tea or coffee or a soft drink, lucky door prize and a small gift for each guest.  To book your place pay your $5 with your name to Paypal.  Email is knmartin@bigpond,net.au or book via the facebook page. 

The Concierge Suggests... St Vinnies, Edison Street Shops, Wulguru.

 

Cooler Weather Beckons....

 

Townsville is a great place to live and winter in Townsville makes the living even better.

Recently I had lunch at a little snack bar in West End, that I found by accident. Great Bite is written on the shop window - It's a local fish and chip/takeaway situated on Sidney Street, West End. The shop owner went out of his way to make my mother and I feel welcome. With sidewalk seating it was a nice spot to sit on a mild Autumn day. We supped on toasted sandwiches and pots of tea. Great Bite is pretty rustic but the food tastes good and I loved that they offered a range of teas and coffees.

If you are poking around West End on a Winters Day I recommend this as a nice spot to sit, chat and have a cuppa.

The Concierge Suggests...  Great Bite, Sidney Street shops, West End.