I SPENT last Friday and Saturday working in a charity shop in Bolton town centre.

It proved to be quite hard, surprisingly enjoyable but also highly illuminating about people and their attitudes to giving.

I agree that Bolton is already probably well-served for charity shops and that so many are an indication of the recession in more ways than one.

But they are also necessary for charities, especially smaller ones like this particular organisation which buys custom-made wheelchairs, trikes and other specialised equipment for disabled children, because it offers decent revenue.

They also fulfil a need for many people, not just bargain-hunters (although many plainly were and nothing wrong with that) but many local residents who couldn’t afford to pay full price, especially for expensive items like coats and shoes.

I suppose because we were new, we had a rush of customers initially looking at our wares and bargains and trade was very brusque. There were many elderly people calling in, happy to chat and inquire about the charity itself. They wanted to know where the money went, whether it was a registered charity and how local children benefitted. We were able to reassure them on all counts.

However, as anyone who serves in a charity shop will testify, there are individuals who are not genuine well-wishers. We suffered petty pilfering along the way in spite of the vigilance of the small group of volunteers manning the shop.

One lady, apparently familiar to many local charity shops, came in with her own agenda. She caused a fuss at the till, obviously hoping to confuse the volunteer taking the money for several items,  and became awkward and demanding.

These were not expensive items, but she was hell-bent on not only getting a bargain but managing to filch a little extra along the way. Fortunately, our till lady was taking no nonsense and dispatched her eventually.

Other customers were affronted that she would do this in a charity shop. But, to counter-balance this, there were the many people who paid over the asking price for items as a donation, and others promised to bring in items to sell. Two even volunteered to work in the shop.

It was an interesting exercise in practical charity and strangely life-affirming. We made an excellent profit over both days - enough to buy two new pieces of equipment - and learned some valuable life lessons about the good in people. And the not so good.