Gifts for The Hard to Buy For

Something to take the stress out of the day

It's been a stressful year for most of us, so anything that can help alleviate some of that day-to-day tension and help us take a moment is good in our books. An electric diffuser like Neal's Yard Remedies' elegant bamboo Esta Aroma Diffuser will bring a touch of aromatic eco-lux living to any room, it's simple to use - just add water and a few drops of your essential oils and aromatherapy blends.

Alternatively, a classic scented candle always goes down a treat - try The White Company or Jo Malone London. 

Something for the (not so) weary traveller

Okay, 2020 has been a bad year for getting away! So let's look forward to 2021 and beyond. Here's just a few things for all those stuck indoor travellers who are ready and waiting to jump on a Eurostar in the new year.

If we plan to pack in some weekend breaks in 2021 then we're going to need a new weekend holdall, just like this navy Longchamp over-the-shoulder bag from Rolling Luggage.

If 2021 is going to be the year of renewed explorations then we better kit ourselves with a new travel journal. Record your 2021 adventures in a journal from Paperchase.

Take that extra creative leap and gift a scrapbook to the wanderlust, like the below scrapbooks (also from Paperchase).

Gift a Good Read

There's nothing quite like getting your head into a good book. Whether you're buying for an avid bookworm or an occasional reader, the station's Hatchards has you covered. 

When we asked the store's booksellers for recommendations, they suggested a couple of standout new reads; their first recommendation is A Promised Land, Barack Obama's presidential memoire which takes readers on a journey from his first political aspirations all the way through to landmark moments during his presidency, all done in the most eloquent prose.

The second of Hatchards' recommendations was Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, winner of Waterstones Book of the Year and Women's Prize of Fiction 2020.

Hamnet is a novel inspired by the son of a famous playwright. It is a story of the bond between twins, and of a marriage pushed to the brink by grief. It is also the story of a kestrel and its mistress; a flea that boards a ship in Alexandria; and a glovemaker's son who flouts convention in pursuit of the woman he loves. Above all, it is a tender and unforgettable reimagining of a boy whose life has been all but forgotten, but whose name was given to one of the most celebrated plays ever written.

These are just two of Hatchards' recommendations, we'd love to offer more but we know our favourites list would go on and on... 

A new favourite mug

We spotted these stylish geometric initial print mugs from Paperchase, the perfect stocking-filler for the tea and coffee drinker who has everything! If you're getting a new mug, then you may as well find something to put in it - head to our Fortnum's to pick out a tasty tea to go with.