Wickham's musings from Chalke

Recently some large stores have installed special rooms for fathers to avoid shopping with their wives; they can watch football on video or play computer games or with model cars on a racing circuit. A good idea in my view.

I find Christmas shopping not so much boring as extremely difficult. Most of my relatives have everything they want already – except really expensive presents like a holiday.

I look around the shops and see expensive gadgets that will be used once then discarded or cheap plastic things made in China that are useless gimmicks.

If I buy something like a book or clothing I am certain to make a choice that they don’t like. Money is my current choice of present for my nieces as they need spending money but for my elder relatives I usually fall back on food which will be consumed or given away and won’t lie around their houses as an unwanted present.