All presents great and small
CHARLOTTE METCALF finds something for everyone
Afghan Chic
Afghans know a thing or two about the cold, which is why I brought my father, a keen gardener, a traditional Mujahideen waistcoat home from my travels there. He wore it non-stop. The authentic article is currently tricky to get hold of but Sirplus does a smart, warm, near-as version: the tweed Nehru waistcoat, with deep lower pockets and a chest pocket. The advantage of Sirplus’s version is that it’s elegant enough to take a hardworking gardener straight from the flowerbed to a smart lunch table. £195 sirplus.co.uk
Pet hate
Indulge a pet and a pet hate simultaneously with these chewable toys ‘stuffed with satire’. If you know a pet-owner who particularly loathes Vladimir Putin or Donald Trump or who is constantly ranting about Nicola Sturgeon or Priti Patel, a ‘Pawlitician’ will make them chuckle as they throw it to the dogs. A catnip-padded range is now available for cats. £17.50 pethatestoys.com
Stay Tied to the Apron Strings
As we get older, how many of us waste gardeningtime scouring the flower beds or pots for that buried gardening fork? At last, help is at hand – or hip – in the shape of this smartlooking, handmade, suede tool-apron. Gardeners can stuff the pockets with everything they need and never mislay their secateurs again. It ties at the waist (adjustable strap – so one size fits all) and protects from earth and brambles. £69.95 sarahraven.com
Get High
For the adventurous oldie who enjoys thrilling the grandchildren, buy a gift voucher towards part or all of a balloon trip. The lucky party will be able to float above beautiful countryside over most of Britain, or can take a ride over London and along the Thames with a bird’s-eye view of St. Paul’s, the Tower and the Dome – far more fun than queueing for the London Eye. A family trip of a lifetime. Prices depend on location. scenesabove.co.uk
Uncorking the Secret
The metal Durand corkscrew for older wine and fragile corks has garnered rave reviews from sommeliers. It’s been dubbed the best thing that ever happened to vintage wine. It spells the end of collapsing corks and wine ruined by cork dust. It’s simple to use, with its stabiliser bar and blades to hold even the most delicate corks in place. Any serious wine collector will love you for it. £159 thedurand.com
Walk with Dickens
For the literary-leaning oldie, a beautifully illustrated map from the Literary Map Company provides a leisurely stroll in the company of their favourite author. ‘A Walk with Charles Dickens through A Christmas Carol’ follows Scrooge’s footsteps and transports the reader back into the foggy, snow-bound streets of Victorian London. The map includes illustrations and excerpts from the story with hand-drawn landmarks, and is also available to buy as a limited-edition print. £9.99 www.literarymapcompany.com
Love and Joy
The tiny, ornamental Myrtle Tree represents love and joy. It has aromatic leaves all the year round, with star-like, fragrant, white flowers in the late summer and edible, blueberry-like fruits in the autumn – steep them in alcohol and they’ll yield a bottle of delicious Mirto liqueur. It arrives beautifully wrapped with details of how to look after it. It can be personalised with a message on a brass heart, star or plaque. £58 thepresenttree.com
Baby Blues
Know someone with a penchant for adventurous swimwear? Buy them a pair of Dr No swimming trunks from Orlebar Brown (£245) or – even more daring – this baby-blue Goldfinger Onesie, the 007 Riviera Towelling All-in-one, inspired by the one Sean Connery wore. Type ‘Goldfinger Onesie’ into the search engine if you can’t find it on the main Orlebar Brown site. It won’t fail to cause a stir on the beach. Or, if you’re the jealous type, it’s for your eyes only. £345 orlebarbrown.com
Neither Shaken not Stirred
This is no ordinary bottle of Bollie. It’s a cracking Christmas present for any Bond aficionado. It’s flying off the shelves but still available from Selfridges. £59.99 selfridges.com
Time Saver
Let’s face it: most of us are at the age when we spend quite a lot of time each day looking for our phone or keys. Here’s the solution. A nice little wooden affair for all your bits, from earpods to car keys. Rather blandly called a Personalised Accessories Holder, it’s actually more of a lifesaver and certainly a timesaver. You can personalise the gift and put someone’s name on it in case they forget that, too. £24.99 notonthehighstreet.com
Travelling Martini
This is a very serious present indeed but it’s simply exquisite. Designer Sebastian Conran, son of Terence, designed this 007 Cocktail Case in the same Connolly Vaumol leather that has adorned Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 since 1964. The case contains a pair of Martini glasses, cocktail shaker, metal cocktail sticks, two metal flasks and a pair of tins for lemon and olives. £4,000 connollyengland.com
Put your Foot in It
Socks are obviously the most boring present anyone can give, unless…. Well, these are still socks, but they’re well-made from combed cotton, are hand-finished and, better still, they’re fun, silly and will bring a smile to even the grumpiest Christmas grinch. As they say on their website, they ‘do love a good yarn’. So, for your feet only, Double-0 or Thunderball socks at £12 a pair or £30 for an Agent Gift Box set of three. thelondonsockexchange.net
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Most discerning oldies love Floris. After all, it’s stayed in the same family for nine generations and is the only perfumer to hold a Royal Warrant to HM The Queen (and one to Prince Charles). No. 89 is named after the address of their timelessly elegant, Jermyn-street store. This classic gentleman’s fragrance was adored by Cary Grant and Alec Guinness and was the firm favourite of Ian Fleming. £80 florislondon.com
The Constant Gardener
We’ve all tried those gimmick,y grow-yourown salad contraptions that yield a lettuce leaf or two a month if you’re lucky. Here comes the real thing. The Sprout mini-greenhouse is self-watering, climate-controlled and protects from pests. It provides greens, salad and herbs all year round, inside or out. It’s been tested on the gale-ridden coast of west Wales and proved durable and unbreakable yet small enough for a small yard, patio or conservatory. From £199, dependent on size. www.harvst.co.uk