Give them a membership

It’s a different kind of gift. ANNA LETHBRIDGE suggests some of the more unusual presents that last for months

Silver linings

If you believe that clouds are the most evocative and dynamic of nature’s displays, you will be welcomed as a member of the Cloud Appreciation Society. For £16 a year, each member receives an enamel membership badge as well as a certificate stating that the member will ‘henceforth seek to persuade all who’ll listen of the wonder and beauty of clouds’. The pack also contains the society’s Cloud Selector identification wheel to help you identify 20 different cloud formations. In addition, members receive a daily email containing the Cloud of the Day: a photograph or painting of an amazing formation, or a super-short piece of cloud science. www.cloudappreciationsociety.org

Take the plunge

Dating back to 1849, the Lido Bristol is one of the oldest surviving lidos in the UK, allowing year-round swimming. After it closed in 1990, the Grade II* baths were left to decay for nearly 20 years before being restored and reopened. The Lido is open all of the year and has an award-winning restaurant, tapas bar and spa. Membership costs from £638 a year or £58 a month. www.lidobristol.com

Sound and light

The Light Music Society was founded in 1957, with Eric Coates as its first president, and the formation of the Library of Light Orchestral Music followed in 1969. ‘Light music’ includes palm court music, tea dance music, symphonic jazz, ballet music, show music, arrangements of popular songs and ballads, film music and television themes and music by seaside orchestras. For an annual subscription of £25, members of the Light Music Society receive its quarterly magazine containing news and information about happenings in the light music world and may hire music from the Library of Light Orchestral Music which holds thousands of pieces of music, many unique to the library’s collection, as well as access to the society’s many events throughout the year. www.lightmusicsociety.com

Full of beans

The Pact Coffee Club makes it easy to get delicious freshly roasted coffee, so that you never run out of the beans you love. Beans are sourced directly from the farmers, so you won’t find these coffees in your local supermarket. From the Ethiopian Kayon Mountain Guji bean, with hints of black tea and lemon, to the Brazilian Planalto, with its savour of malt milk chocolate shake, there is something for all taste buds, from the adventurous to the conservative. Coffee is delivered at the frequency you require, from weekly to monthly, and costs from £6.95 a month. www.pactcoffee.com

Grow your own

Anyone, anywhere, can grow their own food, according to Allotinabox, which sends grow-your-own boxes around the country. As long as you’ve got a space, even a window sill in a city centre, you can learn how to grow your own food. For an annual subscription of £59.99 you get a quarterly seed box, plus other goodies such as plant tags and jute twine, which will supply you with enough products to keep you growing and eating food all year. www.allotinabox.com

A gin tonic

Members of the Craft Gin Club receive a Gin of the Month Box containing a full-size bottle of a surprise gin from a small producer, plus new tonics, mixers and treats. Each parcel comes with cocktail recipes, food suggestions and the club magazine. You can choose whether to receive your gin box monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly. Gift membership costs from £155. www.craftginclub.co.uk

Blades club

Shavekit offers its members the gift of a fresh razor blade a week delivered through the post monthly or bi-monthly. Simply choose your razor and blade and subscription and wait for the four-cartridge packs to arrive through the post. From £39 a year for bi-monthly delivery. www.shavekit.com

Movie magic

The British Film Institute offers members priority booking and discounts on tickets at BFI Southbank for £45 a year. And if you prefer to watch films at home, the BFI Player has a fantastic selection of hundreds of hand-picked classics of global cinema, plus Mark Kermode’s must-see film every week, to view on demand, for a subscription of just £4.99 a month. http://player.bfi.org.uk/bfi-player-plus