Memberships
William Cook
Walk in wetlands
‘Make the boy interested in natural history,’ wrote Scott of the Antarctic, in his last letter to his wife. Their son Peter would have made his dad proud. A painter, broadcaster and Olympic sailing medallist, in 1946 he founded the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire. Sir Peter Scott died in 1989 but the WWT is still growing. There are now nine Wetland Centres around Britain, from London to Llanelli, attracting over a million visitors a year. For £55 a year you’ll get unlimited free entry, beat the queues and support their vital conservation work. You’ll also receive a quarterly magazine. www.wwt.org.uk
Smell the roses
You don’t need green fingers to be a fan of the Royal Horticultural Society. Their four dedicated gardens (Harlow Carr in Yorkshire, Hyde Hall in Essex, Rosemoor in Devon and Wisley in Surrey) are all delightful, and in 2020 they’re opening a brand new garden in Bridgewater, on the green edge of Manchester. A special gift membership (which includes note cards, vouchers, seed packets and a calendar, for £63) allows access to all five gardens, plus savings on special shows in Chatsworth, Hampton Court, Tatton Park – and Chelsea, of course. www.rhs.org.uk
Page turner
What’s your favourite bookseller? Mine has to be Daunt Books. Its beautiful flagship store on Marylebone High Street is a wonderful place to browse, and their second-hand travel section is full of rare surprises. Sadly its nine stores are all in or around London, but bookworms who live further afield can now take out a year’s subscription – or buy one for a friend. Here’s how it works: you choose the first book, which your friend receives, gift-wrapped, by post, and then the aforesaid friend chooses a book each month, in personal consultation with a Daunt bookseller – either online, in-house or on the phone, whichever they prefer. A paperback subscription costs £160, a hardback subscription is £300, a children’s subscription is £140 and a cookery book subscription costs £360. www.dauntbooks.co.uk
Arts and draughts
The Art Fund’s National Art Pass is the ideal gift for anyone you know who enjoys going to galleries, but it’s not just valid for fine art. As well as arty museums like the Tate and the V&A it’s valid for loads of general interest museums, plus some stately homes. In London alone it gives you free access to places as diverse as the Dulwich Picture Gallery, Kensington Palace and the Household Cavalry Museum – a mixed range of attractions that’s rolled out across the UK. For £70 a year, you get free entry to over 225 national museums and galleries, plus half-price admission to many major exhibitions. www.artfund.org
Ship ahoy!
Three ships, three submarines, three museums and a thrilling harbour tour – there’s so much to see in Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard that it’s impossible to do it all in one day. That’s why their Full Navy Ticket, valid all year long, makes great sense. It’s the perfect gift for anyone you know who’s fascinated by the rich history of the Royal Navy. HMS
Victory is the star attraction, and the accompanying exhibition, about the Battle of Trafalgar, is riveting. Don’t miss HMS Warrior, one of the world’s first ironclads (but note that
Mary Rose visits aren’t included). Book your Full Navy Ticket in advance online to get 20 per cent discount off the gate price – £31 for adults, and £27.50 for over-65s. www.historicdockyard.co.uk
Race relations
Horse-racing, motor sports, a golf course and a stately home: Goodwood is so many things and you can give a taste of them with a gift voucher, ranging from £25 to £500. It can be redeemed against a meal, B&B, a round of golf, or entry to one of the spectacular horse-racing or motor sports meetings, including the Festival of Speed. You can take to the skies in a vintage biplane, soaring high above the Sussex countryside, or even drive the iconic circuit where motor racing legends like Sir Jackie Stewart won their spurs. www.goodwood.com
Forest school
There’s nothing natural about the bare hillsides of the Scottish Highlands. Most of this landscape was forested until it was cleared for grazing. Reforesting has countless benefits, from reducing wildfires and flooding to tackling pollution and climate change. Do your bit by sponsoring a tree in Dundreggan, a remnant of the Caledonian Forest that used to cover much of Scotland. Trees for Life bought this precious site in 2008 and are replanting it with rare and endangered species (aspen, dwarf birch, woolly willow), encouraging the return of otters, ospreys, red squirrels and golden eagles. Give a gift certificate for just £19.99. If you’re feeling intrepid, you can even muck in as a volunteer. Take the grandchildren. www.treesforlife.org.uk