Dear Betsy

A friend is buying her first house, and I want to give her something special to mark the occasion. The trouble is, I’m a little slow off the mark and our other friends have already ‘bagged’ the nice keyring/bottle of champagne options. The house is in a small Welsh village, if that helps. Have you got any unusual (and cheapish) ideas?

Love,  Hannah

Dear Hannah,

How about a traditional rubber stamp with their new address on it? That way they can personalise their own correspondence cards and it’ll save them from RSI when it comes to adding their new address to the Christmas round robins.

Or a lambswool blanket. There is no British house that isn’t improved with a woollen blanket to go over your knees in winter – and they’re always handy for picnics in the summer. Or even for putting over your knees in summer, come to that.

Or – my own favourite – an electric egg boiler. We all need a perfect soft-boiled egg now and again, especially if they have access to lovely free-range eggs from neighbours!

Love, Betsy