Quite a large store with a good book selection offering an interesting selection of subjects and…read morenot too much in the way of Jeffrey Archer or Catherine Cookson (me is a snob!). Clothes are not too bad as the shop attracts donations from local trendy urbanites who cannot afford Hackney! Stock is in neat orderly displays so no opportunity to rummage around. However I always pop in and they have attractive window displays as well.

This is definitely the best charity shop in E17. There are a handful of them along High Street and…read moreOxfam is the stand out winner. I mostly went for women's clothes, and got a few great scores. Items are priced by type, so all coats are 5 pounds even if it's a really hot, like-new Top Shop trench! You have to weed through the low quality crap to find the goods, and there are some nice brands and like-new items as a reward. I also found a couple good tops for my guy, but mens selection was consistently less awesome. Like most thrift stores. Nice employees, excellent corner location, cute window displays, and a great selection of books, too. I went here weekly for about 4 months and always found something worth the trip. Totally recommended.

As a local I'd heard a lot about this little in-door market, hidden away on Wood Street. It's…read moredefinitely the first of its kind in Walthamstow, serving as a hub for creatives, vintage and music lovers and small businesses. As you walk along the street it's not really the most noticeable of places (all the fun is inside) but upon having come closer it is actually well signposted. When you walk inside you'll notice loads of cute little shops, most of them dedicated to vintage goods. There's also a fair few little artistic units selling art, textiles, home-made soaps and jewellery. I also noticed a nail salon and another small little beauty shop and a small cafe. I have to say as a local it was a pleasant surprise to see this kind of market in Walthamstow. I probably didn't visit at the greatest of times (a wednesday morning) as it was extremely quiet and some of the shops were closed but it was nice enough.

Q and T, formerly of Columbia Rd., is now located in the village-y bit of Walthamstow. Up until…read morerecently the shop also housed the one-man-band that is Wood St. Coffee (since moved to Blackhorse Workshop located on the other side of the 'stow). Queenie and Ted still shares the space with a baby/toddler clothing line the sells t-shirts with funky and fun prints on them. What I enjoyed most about Q and T is that one can really imagine wearing the most amazing items made new by an embroidered bit there, a patch of color here. The proprietress/seamstress extraordinaire will take an article of your clothing and make it 'fresh' with a flourish of her sewing machine or one can simply browse her store's racks for a fun frock, slick trousers, dapper tie, etc. This is a vibrant shop with a relaxed vibe and worth a visit when one is in E17!