Christmas!

[fivemack]

I bought my father the collected works of Jake Thackray and a Swiss Army oval water bottle in blue-anodised stainless steel; I bought my mother the six-hour Pride and Prejudice and Michael Palin's New Europe on DVD, and the book that I thought she'd like best of all that caught my eye across all the fiction shelves of Borders - unfortunately I've forgotten the title. I bought my housemate-brother Ben a pair of purple slippers and a horror movie about giant man-eating leeches from outer space; I bought my uncle Philip and aunt Eleanor the Lonely Planet Guide to the Middle of Nowhere; I bought my brother James and his wife Marian the promise of dinner at one of Cambridge's nice restaurants of their choice. I bought grandma a big box of Swiss chocolates. The links are for more information; I bought all these in real shops in Cambridge. Mum and Dad bought me a wonderful rucksack that comes in two parts, and has straps and buckles enough to be resistant even to the baggage-handling on Ukrainian buses. Philip and Eleanor bought me goodies from Orkney, including a bottle of 14-year-old whisky. James and Marian bought me a nice bottle of Sauternes. bugshaw bought me a bar of tea-flavoured chocolate. And Ben bought me a hatstand. I was silenced with admiration, and still have a silly smile on my face; nobody's ever bought me a hatstand before. It is of beech-wood, nicely turned, holds six coats, six umbrellas, and either six hats or six more light coats, and was wrapped in enough bubble-wrap that, should I ever be in the position of putting Belgium up for sale on ebay, I will have no trouble packing it.

Comments

[aendr.livejournal.com]

An electronic image of said HATSTAND should be made available forthwith.

[fivemack.livejournal.com]

I was in the very throes of uploading a suitable such image when you posted your most apposite comment.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

What a very appropriate present.

[naath.livejournal.com]

HATSTAND!

[aldabra]

I've got one of those hatstands. You can balance at least twelve coats and an infinite number of hats on it. Ours manages reindeer antlers and bike helmets too, and some of the umbrellas are walking sticks.

[ceb.livejournal.com]

That is indeed a fine hatstand.