Gifts For The Men

By Rob Last edited 231 months ago
Gifts For The Men
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Last week Londonist presented a gift guide for the ladies in your life. So now it's time to balance things out with some ideas for the boys. Contrary to popular opinion, men can be difficult to buy for sometimes, so we hope this little 'pocket guide' gives you a bit of a hand.

For Science Man

If you want to give the gift that just keeps on giving all year round to the science geek man in your life this Christmas then you could do worse than a subscription to New Scientist (1 Year, 51 issues + 4 free, for £ 114).

Or, if you want something a bit more unique why not go for some artificial snow. It comes in three sizes, the 'Stocking Filler' (15g) , the 'Shovel' (45g) and the 'Blizzard' which will make over three kilos of the white fluffy stuff (please note: snow pictured above is real).

For Stressed Man (or Hairy Man)

Jason Shankey has a name which sounds like it should be rhyming slang for something, but he's actually the man behind a chain of eponynmous male grooming salons, one of which is in Jerden place, Fulham.

According to the website "Jason Shankey London is a haven of cool! Designed with the original rat pack movie Oceans 11 in mind the decor incorporates glass, chrome, and soft Italian leather creating a backdrop for a stylish and imaginative showpiece. Combined with state of the art audio and visual technology, continental beer garden and cutting edge grooming and lifestyle services Jason Shankey London is set to become a phenomenon."

Well, phenomenon or not, they do sell gift vouchers, so for under £50 you can get your bloke a specailised neck and back treatment; a tension, neck and back massage; or even a chest, back and abdomen waxing. Just so long as you promise not to tell his mates.

For Gadget Man

The Science Museum is a great place to get the odd stocking filler. And if you've got any geeks in your family then this voice recognition safe is a decent bargain at £19.99.

Once you've stored your collection of rare Star Wars trading cards in there, you can set your own password for voice-activation. Any young cousins with nosey little sisters (or grown men with nosey spouses?) are going to love it.

Or, if you want to spend a bit more and you know a man who's somewhat posessive when it comes to remote controls there's these Kameleon universal remote controls. £39.99 for the 3 in 1, or £69.99 for 6 in 1, they're practical and plus they light up with "electro-luminescent screens" and "they only show the controls you need for the piece of kit you want to use."

For Foody Man

If he can cook already but wants to get better, or if he's useless and treasures his toasty maker above all other things then why not get him a day learning to cook via Days to Amaze.

The site has five London chefs to choose from who will instruct your bloke on the finer culinary arts around £200. Plus you get lunch before your 'hands on' class.

Or, if he's the macho type then you might want to get him a stocking filler from Chilli World, who have a "selection of chilli sauce from around the world which range from the mild to the insanely wild."

Londonist recommends Dave's Gourmet Insanity Sauce, which according to the label is a "Great cooking ingredient for sauces, soups, and stews. Also strips waxed floors and removes driveway grease stains." The bottle also carries this warning: "Use this product one drop at a time. Keep away from eyes, pets and children. Not for people with heart or repiratory problems."

For the man who has everything.

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You've heard of adopting trees, dolphins, and donkeys but now you can adopt a vegetable too.

The Heritage Seed Library was set up in 1975 to provide a loving home for "long-forgotten leeks and abandoned aubergines". And now they've set up 'Adopt a Veg scheme' to support their work and "help these fascinating vegetables live on for future generations to enjoy". If there's one thing your man won't be expecting this yuletide seasonn, it's this.

Last Updated 16 December 2004