The Christmas Present Recommendation Thread - The Bear and Badger

MattyJ

Hey guys, it's getting closer to Christmas and the shopping is beginning. I thought a thread to help Badgers find presents for others might be a helpful thing! So give some details of the person's interests and then others can make recommendations

For example! My other half really liked the girl on a train book, but hasn't foind something similar - what would you recommend?

Any ideas for my 65 year old dad?? Wanted to try and avoid a jumper from M&S or similar... He's a golfer, likes nature, walks... Is retiring in March.

Thread may work or may die but thought of it this morning. Thanks all!

ShabbyMcCrabby

I like gold bullion. Just for anyone that may read this for research purposes

Wookienopants

That's a good idea. It's my wife's birthday in November and I have no idea what to get her.
I'm utterly hopeless at presents.
She likes music and reading, was a former goth girl as a teenager, we've been married a year and have two little 11 week olds.
She doesn't really have many hobbies but loves to cook and bake.

Eric

I think this thread is a good idea.

If your old man likes walking you could get him one of those walking stick/ski poles that old people have, a gillet or possibly some nice walking boots/thermal waterproof socks. Go outdoors is a good start.

Old people also like binoculars.

Eric

Wookie get her tickets for the Cure. All former goths like Robert Smith. It'll have to be an early Christmas present though as they play in November.

Also make a book of photos of the last year of marriage with pics of your twinnies. Sentimental things that cost very little, womens love. (unless you have actually bought nothing else)

Cards made with twins footprints forming rudolfs antlers will get you bonus points.

MattyJ

Eric wrote:

I think this thread is a good idea.

If your old man likes walking you could get him one of those walking stick/ski poles that old people have, a gillet or possibly some nice walking boots/thermal waterproof socks. Go outdoors is a good start.

Old people also like binoculars.

Go Outdoors is a good start, you're right. Forgot about that place! Cheers

Webbins

The missus and I are at an age where we value comfort over surprise so to that end, a good set of warm pyjamas or a snazzy sweater for her always goes down well in our house.

cockbeard

Eric wrote:

Old people also like binoculars.

Dinostar77

FYI for anyone buying lego sets for kids etc for Xmas. There is a Chinese company LEPIN who do the exact same sets (same bricks and instructions) for quarter of the price. Lego are suing them at present.

Also don't forget black friday (25th nov), there will be deals galore to save monies on Xmas pressies.

yourfavouriteuncle

Dinostar77 wrote:

FYI for anyone buying lego sets for kids etc for Xmas. There is a Chinese company LEPIN who do the exact same sets (same bricks and instructions) for quarter of the price. Lego are suing them at present.

Also don't forget black friday (25th nov), there will be deals galore to save monies on Xmas pressies.

This is no good for the people who want genuine Lego though just so they can leave it in the box in the loft for 3 years making it impossible for me to find the set my son really wants.

Truefact here. One of my mates is self employed and hasn't thought to set up a pension. His big plan is buy one of every Lego and keep it for 20 years. He's just had to buy a sealed shipping container to keep it in.

I don't know the maths behind it but it doesn't seem like the most sound idea.

AJ

My family have realised that the best presents we can give each other is not having to buy each other presents.

Kow

This is the deal I have with my in-laws. It's the best Christmas.

Lord_Griff

Great, another ivory back-scratcher...

g.man

Wookienopants

AJ wrote:

My family have realised that the best presents we can give each other is not having to buy each other presents.

Best Christmas plan.
My dad, brother and I used to have the same plan when we lived together. We'd just enjoy having a nice meal and lots of beer

JonB

I have exchanged identical amounts of money with my brother in the past.

Thankfully he has a kid now, so I just buy for her and he doesn't get anything.

three1ne

Yeah, weird one with money. Went through a stage of doing that.

I feel very awkward receiving presents off gf's relatives. End up with 50 to 100 quid worth of stuff and I don't know them that we'll, I feel. Just a bit of an odd situation.

[Deleted User]

MattyJ wrote:

Any ideas for my 65 year old dad?? Wanted to try and avoid a jumper from M&S or similar... He's a golfer, likes nature, walks... Is retiring in March.

Just a small thing, but there's a series of books published by Pocket Mountains, which list a variety of walks in different parts of the country. It's a mix of country walks, hill walking and tours of villages, depending on the area. They can be great for suggesting local spots you hadn't thought of, or didn't even know about. I've got a couple, there about £7 each, but I'm pretty sure I picked up mine for a fiver.

RamSteelwood

Wookienopants wrote:

AJ wrote:

My family have realised that the best presents we can give each other is not having to buy each other presents.

Best Christmas plan. My dad, brother and I used to have the same plan when we lived together. We'd just enjoy having a nice meal and lots of beer

my bro and I keep the chrimbo spirit alive by still buying each other gifts but limited to a max 10 quid spend. it generally involves seeing who can by the other the least desirable thing they can find.

Diluted Dante

Presents are great. If your buying for someone like my Dad who never uses anything you get him that's one thing, but most people aren't like that.

[Deleted User]

Yeah I like gifting stuff.
Every year there is someone I struggle with though, this year it is my Mum.

Moot_Geeza

My dad is incredibly easy to buy for, as he drinks pretty much any whisky other than Johnny Walker Black. He's as happy with Whyte & Mackay or J&B Rare as he is with Arberlour A'bunadh. He gave me a bottle of JW Black I'd given him for Christmas once, a good few months later, forgetting it was from me ('someone bought me this, it's the only whisky I can't bloody drink'). Too smooth is the gripe.

I saw him drink a third of a bottle of Advocaat when we cleared out my gran's house once, that had been open for at least ten years and needed to be mixed like an ancient tin of gloss ('it's perfectly fine'). I doubt it even gave him the shits.

tin_robot

Wookienopants wrote:

That's a good idea. It's my wife's birthday in November and I have no idea what to get her. I'm utterly hopeless at presents. She likes music and reading, was a former goth girl as a teenager, we've been married a year and have two little 11 week olds. She doesn't really have many hobbies but loves to cook and bake.

My wife's another one who likes music and reading. So one year I got her a selection of books about music. There were a couple from the "33 1/3" series, which are small books about individual albums, a couple of collections of lyrics (Jarvis Cocker, Nick Cave), and a copy of David Byrne's "How Music Works" which is partly about his own work, but is mostly what the title implies, and is a pretty nice object in itself.

Sounds like her tastes might be different to those of your wife, but the broad idea might go down well. (It did here.)

GooberTheHat

yourfavouriteuncle wrote:

Dinostar77 wrote:

FYI for anyone buying lego sets for kids etc for Xmas. There is a Chinese company LEPIN who do the exact same sets (same bricks and instructions) for quarter of the price. Lego are suing them at present. Also don't forget black friday (25th nov), there will be deals galore to save monies on Xmas pressies.

This is no good for the people who want genuine Lego though just so they can leave it in the box in the loft for 3 years making it impossible for me to find the set my son really wants. Truefact here. One of my mates is self employed and hasn't thought to set up a pension. His big plan is buy one of every Lego and keep it for 20 years. He's just had to buy a sealed shipping container to keep it in. I don't know the maths behind it but it doesn't seem like the most sound idea.

He should buy whisky instead. At least that way if it doesn't appreciate in value at least he can drink himself into oblivion on great booze.

MattyJ

Any good books on music of 60s? Thinking Hendrix, Who, Zepplin, Beatles etc.

cockbeard

Keith Altham, The PR Strikes Back got some good press when it was released. Never got around to reading it but he was very prominent in the 60s, worked very closely with Hendrix. He did another called No More Mr Nice Guy, might be worth investigation

MattyJ

I'll check it out, ta!

tin_robot

MattyJ wrote:

Any good books on music of 60s? Thinking Hendrix, Who, Zepplin, Beatles etc.

I've not read it, but White Bicycles by Joe Boyd is supposed to be good - though he maybe leans a little too much into the folky side of things. (He stage managed Dylan's shift to electric, and produced for Procul Harem, Nick Drake, Pink Floyd etc.)

The other one is Yeah Yeah Yeah by Bob Stanley (of Saint Etienne) - it's not explicitly 60s though, instead it's an attempt to plot the entire history of pop music, from 40's, 50s stuff, through to present day. That does, inevitably, mean a fair bit in the 60s though. Stanley's not afraid to wear his preferences on his sleeve, and will happily bad mouth a fair few beloved bands, but it's a good read.

MattyJ

Cheers Tin, I'll check those out too!

This is turning into the 'recommend Matty a gift thread' but - I was after a new game for my kid on the 2DS, something Spiderman or Marvel related. Any ideas? The Lego Marvel one seems to have bad reviews on it, and I'm not sure the Spiderman ones will work for a 5 year old. He really loves Mario 3D Land and does pretty well at it (although uses the invincible leaf as well). Thanks guys.

Kow

Wonderland Avenue by Danny Sugerman is worth a look. Or his book about the Doors - No one here gets out alive, is ok too.

[Deleted User]

Where does reasonably priced sealed CDs other than Amazon and HMV?
I want to get Mama LivDiv the two main Chromeo albums (Fancy Footwork and Business Casual) for xmas as a bit of an add on present. I feel like I shouldnt be paying more than a fiver each.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories