TRIED AND TESTED
WHAT IS IT? Swarovski dG. From £1,650. www.swarovskioptik.com
I WANT IT BECAUSE: This is the future of wildlife watching
– it’s a monocular with a builtin digital camera, so you can take photographs of birds and mammals and then identify them on the accompanying apps.
USEFUL FOR: Newbie wildlife watchers who want to find out which mysterious creatures are visiting their gardens.
HIGH POINT: The Swarovski lens – male mallards’ heads shimmer in iridescent green, even amid the autumn gloom.
LOW POINT: The sharpness of the photographs from the camera can’t quite match the lowlight abilities of the lens – but that would be a tough ask given the lens’ high quality.
WHAT IS IT? Stag & Bruce’s Rosslyn blanket. £110. www.stagandbruce. co.uk
I WANT IT BECAUSE: It’s a lovely small-batch, limited edition lambswool blanket made ethically in the UK by an Edinburgh-based family company.
USEFUL FOR: In the summer it’s perfect for picnics, and in the winter months as an extra layer on the bed at night, or for curling up in front of the fire on a cold winter’s night.
HIGH POINT: This blanket, which is 1.4m x 1.7m, has impeccable sustainability credentials – it is made from excess yarn sourced from Scottish mills which might otherwise have been discarded.