DO THEY LIKE?
I find my Grandparents the most troublesome of all my relatives and friends. Now you know I don’t mean that they are running amok and causing geriatric chaos in the High Street on a Saturday night, but to buy gifts for. They really do have everything they need, and then some. My Grandpa in particular is very tricky and would be very irritated if at 91 anyone gave him another tie or any other practical gift he does not think he needs, or has dozens of already. E.g. Socks, hankies, woollies, or gloves.
If this rings a bell or two for you, then here are a few things you can consider when buying a gift for your older relatives or friends.
First of all,
Do they have a real passion? You can wipe that smile off your face, my Grandpa still loves a round of golf, just as long as he has got his motorised cart, hipflask and a suitable companion, usually my Grandma.
Identify the passion and find a gift to match, but not the obvious things, like gloves for golfers, they will already have them.
How about;
Golfing vouchers an inspired gift; half a dozen ‘2 fore 1’ vouchers that are redeemable at hundred of golf courses all over the country, even the famous ones. 2 people can play an 18 hole round for the normal green fee for I person. There are other options also available from Golfalot.com like the ‘Open Fairways Golfer's Passport’ which is a discounted green fee membership scheme, for up to 8 people on one card, that saves you up to 50% on green fees in UK and Ireland.
Or perhaps fishing is more their thing
for ‘a day on the River Test’ apparently the world’s most famous trout river (I knew
that!) or how about a ‘1-
Another favourite pastime for many retired folks is their garden, once again if you don’t know exactly what they are hankering for, water feature? Bird table? Plants? Patio furniture,??? take the easy way out, let them choose their own gifts.
Book a theatre break in London and the UK instantly. Choose from fantastic West End shows including Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, The Lion King and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, add a Hotel for the night if you like
Food and Drink
If they don’t have a real passion for anything too physical they probably enjoy fine foods and wine!
There are many hundreds of places to buy fine foods and wines online, and have them sent straight to the recipient if you choose.
Here are a couple of my favourites
For some of the finest Scottish foods available anywhere try ‘Ardtaraig Fine Foods of Scotland’ This is what their website says; Gifts of Smoked Salmon, Oysters, Hampers, Venison, Hams & Sausages for Christmas, Birthdays, Valentines Day, Easter, Fathers Day, Mothers Day and Anniversaries.
As well as an amazing range of gourmet foods the hampers also include ports, wines
and whisky, and all presented in a real willow hamper. A truly high-
Virginia Hayward for some really gorgeous hampers and so beautifully packaged they will be sure to delight. They come in quite a variety, not just with food and drinks, but other types of gifts as well. They have been sending hampers out for 20 some years so they are pretty good at it
www.harrods.com, needs no chat from me
Leonidas chocolates -
What makes them different?
In short, Leonidas chocolates are fresh. Most other brands of chocolate are compromised by the need for longevity. No other brand pays as much attention to freshness as Leonidas. Their chocolates are boxed on the day that your order is sent out. They do not contain any vegetable fat but use 100% cocoa butter instead. They use fresh ingredients: the fresh butter and cream in their butter creams set them apart from the rest and give them a unique flavour.
They are beautifully packaged but a tad more reasonable.
Made in Belgium since 1910, Leonidas famous Belgian chocolates reflect an unsurpassed tradition of quality and freshness. Purchase Leonidas Belgian chocolates online, and have them delivered from the Leonidas shop in Victoria Street, London, directly to your door
www.leonidasbelgianchocolates.co.uk
For the aspiring wine buffs -
The London Wine Academy offers wine courses and wine tastings for everyone from the absolute beginner learning purely for pleasure, to those with a more serious interest
None of these any good?
OK. what about memorabilia, everybody loves memories.
Just imagine, you can get an original newspaper, usually The Times for almost any day over the last 400 years. Sundays and historically important days, like the day war broke out can be more difficult to get and more costly.
What a great way to remember birthdays, wedding anniversaries and the like.
www.newspapersremembered.co.uk
Grandparents often love pictures or photos, pictures of their past, their family, grandchildren, pets or homes. Hand drawn portraits are a wonderful original gift
Detailed Pencil Portraits of Family, Friends, Celebrities, Pets and Homes all drawn From Photographs
Would a hand drawn original caricature amuse?
Bit crazy but delightful idea for an unusual gift
Send them a photo and they will hand draw you a unique custom designed caricature. Tell them what you want the caricature doing and they will produce either an A4 or A3 sized caricature for you. Lots of ideas and inspiration on the web site
If they have a favourite magazine or would enjoy a years supply of Gardeners World or BBC ‘s Good Food Magazine
Visit The Magazine Group, it offers great savings on nearly 500 of the UK's leading titles.
Amazon.com have every kind of book you could possibly want to buy, second hand ones too which are a lot cheaper
www.amazon.com
This is a terrific gift for anyone who likes travelling but hates hanging around in crowded busy airports
Priority Pass is the easy, affordable way to escape the chaos of busy airport terminals, flight delays and cancellations and to enjoy the peace and privacy of a VIP lounge
The pass provides airport VIP lounge access irrespective of who you are flying with, what class you are travelling in, or whether you belong to an airline lounge program. And as a member you will enjoy all the VIP privileges at airport lounges around the world:
These really are gifts that you buy for someone who has everything. Why? I hear you ask
Well, because they don’t get the gift but someone far away does instead.
You can buy a goat or four chickens for a Malawi family, clean water, a share of a mill or 25 kg of fertilizer, and loads more gifts that will delight your family and friends while benefiting some very needy people.
World Vision is one of the world's leading relief, development and advocacy organisations, currently helping more than 100 million people in almost 100 countries. A Christian organisation, who work alongside communities in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice, irrespective of their religious beliefs
Crotchet are a classical music specialist.
Any known classical composer/artist available at Crotchet. They also tend to have in their database titles not always available from the more general music stores
If you cannot find what you are looking for on their web site they invite you to contact them and they will try to acquire it for you.
