Mail Order Gifts

EMILY BEARN’S ingenious gift ideas, at the click of a button

Emily Bearn

Victorian treasures One is never too old for clockwork toys. Last year we recommended competing Granny and Grandpa figures and this season it’s these cheeky Wind-up Racing Penny Farthings who are top of the bill. Watch as they wobble across the Christmas lunch table. A must for kids and clockwork enthusiasts, alike. £5.99. www.toyday.co.uk Life Lif stories For those who have struggled in vain to write a memoir, Book of My Life might prove the answer to a prayer. The company offers a bespoke memoir-writing service, based on a series of at-home interviews with a professional author. Prices start at £1,900 for a concise 80-page biography, based on up to five hours of interviews, rising to £9,750 for a full-length biography running to 250 pages. www.bookofmylife.co.uk Fancier chicken Forget tortoises and peacocks: the empty egg aisles at the start of lockdown swiftly turned the humble chicken into the nation’s most sought-after garden pet. Many breeders still have long waiting lists, but Bristol firm Pipinchick Poultry offers pre-ordering for Spring 2021 and will deliver nationwide. www.pipinchicksilkies.com Quintessential quince A fruit tree is the gift that goes on giving, and the recent vogue for homemade chutney has placed the quince tree at the top of every gardener’s wish list. The Rea’s Mammoth variety is known for the size of its fruits, and is beloved by landscape gardeners for its beautiful, rose-pink blossom. 5ft trees from £95. www.paramountplants.co.uk A smaller splash The above-ground swimming pool was this year’s ultimate staycation toy, but most suppliers had sold out by mid-may. With pools slowly coming back in stock again, now is the ideal time to buy one before the spring rush. This would make the dream present for a grandchild – or for a sporting grandparent who wants to avoid the municipal pool. All sizes, including an 8ft Intex model at £87.99. www.splashandrelax.co.uk

Keep cool The ice-cream maker was once voted the gift most likely to lie unused at the back of a cupboard – but the recent run of hot summers has made it king of the kitchen worktop. For best results, opt for a model with a built-in freezer, such as the Magimix Gelato Expert, which will keep ice cream at serving temperature for up to two hours. £429.99 www.nisbets.co.uk Smile, please We all have a glut of photographs on our phone – but quality beats quantity, and a professional family photo shoot will always provide something to treasure. The Oxfordand London-based photographer Douglas Fry is known for his joyfully informal portraits, which have gained him a reputation as the Mario Testino of the south-east. Shoots start at £450 (extra for shoots outside the capital), with a 20% reduction for Oldie readers. www.douglasfry.com/family-photographer-london Temperature control We’re now more interested in body temperature than in the weather – which is why a state-of-the-art thermometer is likely to be one of this year’s most keenly appreciated gifts. This snazzy contact-less model can take instant readings from a distance of 5cm – ideal for politely vetting your Christmas guests. Non Contact Forehead Thermometer, £39.50. www.clinicallabproducts.co.uk Knee-saver Aching joints are the bane of many a mature gardener – so hooray for this cunning sit-on cart, which will trundle your tools round the garden while providing an adjustable seat from which to prune in comfort. It’s sure to be blessed by anyone with stiff knees – and the jazzy red frame bestows a deceptively youthful air. £61.99. www.aosom.co.uk Cheers! The lights are dimmed, the Burgundy’s on ice – but the romantic mood is all too easily dampened when your ageing hands can’t operate the corkscrew. All such anxieties will be a thing of the past with the Final Touch Easy Turn Corkscrew, whose built-in spring mechanism will ease off the most stubborn wine corks with minimum exertion. £100 (reduced to £60 as we went to press). www.homeloft.uk

Camp chairs

There comes a time in life when sitting on a rug is not as easy as it used to be – and these reclining, portable camping chairs will make family picnics an infinitely more civilized affair. Equipped with armrests, a cup holder and a detachable side table, each chair fits into a compact over-the-shoulder bag. Asteri Camping Chair. £61.99. www.amazon.co.uk

Shopping seat

Step aside Ena Sharples – shopping trolleys are now youthful fashion accessories, with a version by Louis Vuitton on sale for £14,100. The mature shopper will look just as good wheeling the latest Shop ‘N’ Sit model by Drive, a trolley with a handle that hinges down to make a comfortable seat – ideal when stuck in a queue. Shop ‘N’ Sit Shopping Trolley (pronounce with care), £106.80. www.activemobility. co.uk

Pasta bellissima

Pasta was in such short supply during lockdown that desperate shoppers resorted to buying erotic penne from Ann Summers – which in some areas was the only variety to be found. It is small wonder that a pasta maker has become this year’s must-have kitchen accessory. For authentic Italian design, try the Marcato Atlas 150 Wellness model in nostalgic copper, which can make everything from ravioli to reginette. £113. www.johnlewis.com

Virtual friend

For anyone who is prone to forgetting to take their pills, Alexa – Amazon’s loquacious virtual assistant – could prove an invaluable friend. This surprisingly easy-to-operate gadget will provide any number of daily reminders, as well as enabling users to make hands-free calls, turn on lights and adjust thermostats. It will even challenge you to a pub quiz. Echo Dot, £49.99. www.amazon.co.uk

Shaken not stirred

In recent years, the drinks trolley has teetered on the brink of extinction – but when Britain’s pubs closed last spring, it acquired a new burst of life. This dinosaur of the drawing room deserves only the most retro adornments – such as one of these glorious, pineappleshaped, silver cocktail shakers, replete with golden leaves. Pineapple cocktail shaker, £25. www.johnlewis.com