Look at that now, guys.
It's crazy, isn't it?
Right, anyway.
Tomorrow, Pontypool will be open for the last time now, this side of New Year, on a Sunday.
Okay?
Risca rule, Monday, Tuesday.
It's the last time it's going to be open before the New Year.
Okay?
I've got Dan down here tomorrow.
I don't think I'm going to open this one tomorrow, because he's got to get the sign up if he came off in the wind.
If anybody's got any COREX, it's like the plastic stuff we've been signed out of, to go there...
Oh, we have got some stuff in the donation centre, the sticky back.
Just to cover where it says APR there, so we can cover that.
It looks a bit tidier now.
If you've got any COREX, you know, this blank.
It could be black or white or just blue or whatever.
But blank, I can put there then, can't I?
To get that job done.
So I think he's going to come down and do that, because he doesn't need to go in the shop to do that job.
He hasn't done the lights and he hasn't got the wood to make a batten strip.
Because the roller shutters don't go right up, look.
To make a batten strip to go across there and then come down to support it, to put the nice fancy lights on we've got.
Oh, but you can... they can wiggle.
Oh, what will I get on my knees?
A wiggly line.
It might annoy me.
I don't know.
But it might look good to customers, I don't know.
This is filling up of stuff.
I'm sure people are coming in, sneaking donations in.
And unfortunately I've had a rail collapse, so I'll have to get down on that.
I'd have to screw that one in, I think.
This shop will be open all week.
Till Saturday.
So will Pontypool.
I don't know if we're going to do any late nights.
Because I'm proper on a wind down.
I'm like, I'm on all day.
I really can't get less.
Hey, I had this thing from Madame Tussauds.
That's unusual.
I've never... because we always check to see if they're vintage, because you've got to buy low, right?
And I always check, aren't I?
It's cute, isn't it?
But I've never had a teddy in like that from Madame Tussauds.
And it's a monkey.
Like, why would they want a monkey from Madame Tussauds?
I don't know.
That's random, isn't it?
Because it's the waxworks, isn't it?
I've got games there.
I've given up on the games.
I'm going to give them to my mother.
I can't do it.
I can't focus on them.
Unless anybody else wants to come and pick them up.
I've also got a bag full in my car.
If anybody wants to come and pick up the games and sort them out.
I'm more than happy for you to play them when you've got them.
I'm not worried about that at all.
I'd appreciate that.
I've got a big black bag full and those here to go.
Trouble is, when you're sorting the games, if you drop a little piece in the shop, you'll never find it again.
Like, you know, it's a nightmare.
This has come in.
A little plastic tablecloth.
A bit of a knock-off of Cath Kidson.
That's lovely.
And like I said, we've had to check those that bunch out.
They're like, are you doing me?
I'm like, yeah, go for it.
I get paid to be in videos.
I crack on.
But just be careful what you say because I can have you for malicious communications now.
Because what you said to me is a lie.
I fell down.
The thing is, Dan can come and he's strong enough to pick it up with all the stuff still hanging on it.
Put it back on.
If I do it, I've got to get all the stuff off.
I've got to put it back up.
Then I've got to sort it into the edges again.
Then I've got a blooming together stool.
Somewhere.
Sure, somewhere.
Dan will do that for me tomorrow.
He probably will.
Don't forget, we're collecting books now for our free bookshelf for the mums.
So, Riscaroo.
Monday, Tuesday.
Then you won't see it till 2026.
We won't be in there till 2026.
Pontypool, last Sunday tomorrow.
Okay.
Last Sunday.
Pontypool in Caerphilly will be open all week.
What's that off?
Will be open all week.
Until Saturday.
Because then we're off skiing.
We're off skiing.
And the shed.
The shed will be open all week.
The trial shed that we're doing will be open all over Christmas.
So if you want to come and pick up bits, just get out for five minutes.
You can, and fundraise.
And it's suggested donation only, guys, in the sheds.
I'm not worried about you paying.
If you pick up...
If you pick up, like, I don't know...
If you pick up that 350, 350, 707...
Oh, I don't know.
Lost count now.
Say £7 and you'll just pay £5.
It's suggested donation only in the shed.
It's a trial to see how it goes.
The cake sheds are quite successful in the communities.
So we thought we'd try it with a little donation shed.
And then it gets mummed.
Oh, I wonder if that's off that cat picture I just saw.
Because that's those gem art things, isn't it?
Oh, I got a bit...
I thought I had another two bags to do by here, but I think what I did was pull them all out last night and I've done them.
So if I haven't got the bits now, like I've got this lovely jigsaw, but I haven't got all the bits, look.
But I wonder, it may well be in the car, or it may well be over at Pontypool shop.
It ain't going to be anywhere else.
Or in the drop-off point in Rudry.
So over Christmas, the sheds will be open, right?
I don't know if we're going to get two up and running before Christmas.
We might get somebody else to do one for us.
And a lot of it is delivery on the sheds.
And donation sheds will be open.
And don't worry, because my cousin's there.
She's cat-sitting for us, so she's going to be there all the time in the house.
Just in case it doesn't go right.
But you know, it's a trial.
It's fine, guys.
And the Rudry drop-off point might be open as well.
So I'll double-check with my lady there.
Make sure we can do that.
I don't know whether to say, Tuesday afternoon, if we've got donations, drop them to Riskaroo.
If you're from Risca, right?
Because they can just be shut up in there then, until we go back in New Year to sort them out.
What do you think?
Or is it a bit too complicated?
I don't know.
So we just say no donations now, unless it's going to the Rudry drop-off point.
We don't want to complicate things.
We've got a few different things going on, haven't we?
And like I said, I've noticed a lot of people doing Christmas stuff this year.
Christmas events and what have you.
So I don't know if we're going to do one next year, because...
Is it needed?
Is our fundraising, which is paramount, to helping families with nappies, formula and food banks, is it paramount to running a Christmas-themed event?
Because to me, it looks like there's so many different Christmas events going on with charities and collections and different things, that people are a little bit torn from one area to the next on where to go.
And am I giving myself unnecessary stress by doing it?
Maybe we could do something else.
Because I mean, if I go and invite you to a party now, this time of year, with kids, I'd go, Really?
Thanks.
Because I'd be up to my neck as a mother.
Especially little kids.
I'd be like, thanks a lot for inviting me to some stupid party.
That's what I would feel about it.
Perhaps we'd do a spring one.
Perhaps we'd do a spring disco, because the weather's warmer, to bring little ones out.
And celebrate something in spring, maybe.
You know, I know Easter's coming up there, but we don't want to exclude anybody either.
Like by running Christmas and running Easter, you are also excluding people, aren't you, that don't celebrate those festivals.
So perhaps we'll do something in the spring that will be nice.
That means we could have a ire venue, have a bouncy castle outside, and maybe an ice cream van.
But it covers everybody, it covers every religion, and every culture.
And it's not a stressful time when it's cold.
I'd think, oh my god, if I've got to go to a rugby club now, right, I stink the beer, because I don't drink, right?
Now I have drunk in the past.
I have drunk like a fish.
I'm a good drinker when I get going, right?
But I don't drink anymore.
I just don't agree with me, so I don't drink, right?
So to sit in a pub that stinks the beer, goes through me, right?
So to go into like a rugby club or somewhere now, stinking a beer, freezing cold, if I was cold, that would be another thing.
I'd be like, oh no, if I'm freezing in there, listening to other people's kids running around screaming, right?
Maybe it's my age, I don't know.
This time of year, when I'm busy doing stuff at Christmas, you know, some of our mums haven't even trimmed up yet.
They haven't done the wrapping, they're still stressing about Christmas.
I just think, is it too much for everybody to have another Christmas event, to buy another charity, you know, and people feel obliged to go to it.
But where we could do something in spring and have a bouncy castle, have a burger van, have a whatever, you know, have a bit of it outside, a bit of it inside, and everybody's welcome, every culture, because we have lots of customers from lots of cultures,
lots of religions, lots of different areas.
You know, we are, you know, I can always remember I wanted Quick Save in the pill in Newport, and they weren't renting it, they were only selling it, and I wanted it, and everybody said to me, don't go down pill, don't go down pill, I've got loads of support off the mothers from pill.
Tons.
Newport are one of our biggest donating areas.
Caerphilly is second, Pontypool is third, right?
Newport have been one of our biggest supporters since we started.
If I can't get to Newport to get their donations, I would need vans full.
Like I would need a van here in Caerphilly.
Like I used to pick up two days a week here, two days a week in Newport.
That's what I used to do when we were mobile.
And we've always said from day one, if we're going to Newport, we need big warehouse.
Don't even look at a shop, don't even look at a storage, it needs to be big.
It's got to be the size that Quicksave was in the pill, or bigger.
Right?
Because we know the support that we've got in Newport, and the families that need us in Newport.
So we've always said that from day one.
So, you know, like I said, we cover lots of different families, lots of different areas, lots of different economic situations.
We look after parents, both parents are working for the NHS.
You know, we look after quite a few different niches of people.
So, maybe we do something in the spring when the pressure is off, everybody spring cleaning, we could have you bring all your donations down there, do an exchange, because we don't always do, sell it for this price.
You know, come in and do, you know, you bring a bag, you can take a bag.
Something like that.
Yeah?
We could do a few things.
But what I've seen is, it just seems to be everybody is, every charity going is doing something to do with Christmas this year.
And it's like, do we need to do it?
Is there a need for it right now?
Probably not.
And we are, by doing it, and I'll be honest with you, anybody who is doing it, you need to be careful, because you are excluding certain groups of people by doing it.
So...
Oh, I've had loads of, loads of the baby in.
I've had loads of him in.
This is nice, and I had a wand to it, and I wanted to see what it did.
And I dropped the wand in the teddies, messing around with it.
It's like, what is this crystal ball thing?
Oh my God.
What is it?
I've got loads of toys, guys.
Absolute tons and tons of toys here.
Absolute tons.
See, Sammy, should do you up to 20 quid worth of toys for free.
I've given past it over to her because I'm on a proper whine down now.
Right, like I said, I've got my cousin Kat sitting and looking after the bunnies and all the rest of it, and then my dad's going to pop down once a day as well.
Because they love things like chicken bones or whatever.
No chicken bones, but you know what I mean?
Bits of chicken, bits of gristle and stuff, of the meat.
Because my mom and dad, they like what the...
Well, my mom don't so much, but my mom and my dad do like to have different meats at Christmas.
And what they don't eat, obviously, we won't be here.
So...
They'll take them down to the cats, etc.
And just keep an eye on everything.
And like I said, don't forget about the sheds, and if you'd like to host one, brilliant.
Brilliant, that would be if you could host one for us.
It's got to be on your property, like I wouldn't be able to have one on the pavement out by you.
Because then the council would want to cut in with it.
So I couldn't have one by there, look, because that's council pavement, and you couldn't either.
I don't know what they're up to down by there.
Doing something, yeah, doing something down there.
That cafe is open now, down by this, nice too.
Um, nice food in there, nice little desserts.
Nice to see people opening up, because I think carpet...
Not carpet, right, city carpets are gone.
Hey, that's in Newport.
That's big.
Yep.
I've got a plan, guys.
City carpets, I don't know what the building looks like and where they are.
But I've seen that they're closing down after Christmas.
That's a big building.
You may need a tenant in.
Hmm.
Um...
Yeah, so...
That's where I'm at with the Christmas stuff.
And the sheds and ruddery drop off will be open.
I don't think the staff are going in, they're going to have a break.
Oh, he goes with that thing.
Where's that?
Little garden set I just had.
He goes in there.
That's lovely, that is.
Look at that.
I've built it all up.
Oh, I was building it when the dickheads come in.
I was like, I'm going to play with this wooden garden.
And they come in and they were like, Oh my god.
I thought you said you weren't shopping with us anymore.
Piss off.
I don't want you shopping with us.
And then they kicked off there.
But like I said, we don't need to pull up with it, do we, guys?
We've been retail for a long time and there's a lot of retail staff out there who have got to pull up with a load of dickheads.
We don't need to.
We don't need their custom, do we?
And like I said, I'm going to let them put videos all over Facebook.
I only get Facebook.
And all the money goes back into the baby bank.
So let them do it, I don't care.
They don't even incriminate themselves anyway with these videos.
It's all starting to come out now, isn't it?
It's all starting to come out in the wash.
As they say, as my good old grandmother used to say, Daisy, she used to say it.
It'll all come out in the wash when it bill.
The one that I put up this morning is already on a police warning for harassment.
So now that the council have named him, he's going to be in trouble because he's already on a police warning.
That guy.
This is lovely.
I really like it.
It's really nice.
He came in.
Build a bear.
Build a dinosaur.
Madame Tussauds.
This was nice.
I had a new one.
That's fairly new.
But then I had a vintage.
Lovely.
I thought he was a Squishmallow, but he isn't.
He's a rogue Squishmallow.
He's a T.Y.
We've had a really old-fashioned Louisian.
Nice little bear.
Teddy's are our top sellers.
They always go well.
Oh, I've got to go guys.
I've got a customer in it.