Tim's Gift Ideas 🎁

Gift-Giving Guidelines

Please don't feel any obligation to give gifts - your presence is valued above presents.
This list is intended as a helpful guide - we'd love to be surprised with unexpected and thoughtful gifts we couldn't have imagined
Second-hand items are welcomed and encouraged
Practical/useful items preferred over decorative
Help with tasks/time is often more valuable than physical items
Consider helping with research/planning when giving money towards items

Food & Drink

Strong mature cheddar

Because I love cheese

All gift of cheddar cheese is welcome. No cheddar is too strong. Much more of a fan of cheddar than, say, fancy french cheeses

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Lidl or Aldi Penne

The cheap pasta that just hits different

Yes, this is partly a joke gift. But also, there's something about the cheap Lidl/Aldi penne that just works better than fancy pasta. I will genuinely eat and enjoy this. Multiple bags welcome!

Home & Furniture

Chopped Firewood

We have a small stove

As much as I'd love some massive pieces of tree, without a chainsaw and appropriate knowledge, any firewood would be best in stove size portions.

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Outdoor & Adventure

Descent magazine subscription

The UK's premier caving magazine

A subscription to Descent magazine would be wonderful - it's the main magazine covering caving, cave exploration, and underground adventures in the UK and beyond.

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Old Descent magazines

Any issues from the last 15 years

I'd love to read back issues of Descent magazine from roughly 2010 onwards. Any copies you have lying around or can find second-hand would be really interesting to read.

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Spare caving light

A backup light for underground adventures

You can never have too many caving lights! A spare headtorch or helmet-mounted light suitable for caving would be very useful as a backup. Check the Caving Gear Exchange UK Facebook group for second-hand options.

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Cheap, robust remote control car

Want to make me smile on Christmas day?

Not just when I open the present but for the rest of the day too! Find a cheap remote control car (second hand is absolutely fine) and make sure it has batteries or is charged and you're good to go. Simple fun for everyone.

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Heated socks

More heated socks please!

I love heated socks for keeping warm - can never have too many pairs. Link to follow.

Moorland Grit guidebook

A climbing guidebook that I won't use

I don't think I will climb anything in it, but it's a guidebook of esoteric underclimbed, pieces of rock round Glossop. Rock probably best looked at rather than climbed, which is what makes the guidebook likely more fun than climbing them.

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Detailed field first aid kit

For Tim and Jen - PLEASE CONSULT BEFORE BUYING

We'd like a detailed, well-stocked field first aid kit with specific items. Please consult with Tim or Jen before buying this - don't randomly buy a £2 first aid kit! We have particular requirements. Link to follow.

Walkie talkies

For outdoor adventures and communication

Walkie talkies for outdoor use. Link to follow.

Technical Gore-tex waterproof jacket

To keep me warm and dry in the rain.

I have an old goretex ME jacket, but it's starting to become a bit like swiss cheese - something not known for waterproofness. I've put a link to a ME Pro Shell in Large - but there are many other suitable jackets.

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Drysuit (Large/XL)

For year-round kayaking comfort

A waterproof drysuit (size Large or XL) would let me kayak in colder weather without getting cold. Look for reputable brands like Palm, Kokatat, or Gul. Second-hand in good condition is perfectly acceptable!

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Courses & Learning

Tech & Equipment

170W ThinkPad Chargers

Must be 170W - less powerful chargers won't work on my laptop

Rectangle-ended tip suitable for P50/P52 etc - second hand recommended. The link has many suitable ones that would all work.

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New laptop keyboard

Replacement keyboard for my ThinkPad

A replacement keyboard for my laptop. Link to follow.

Laptop RAM

More memory for my laptop

Additional RAM to upgrade my laptop. Link to follow.

Replacement van lights

New lights for the van

Replacement lights for my van. Link to follow.

Contributions towards van bodywork

Help fix up the van

My van needs some bodywork repairs. Any contributions towards getting this done would be very welcome!

USB-C to USB-A cables

I need about 6 more

Second hand/preloved welcome!

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4TB 2.5" Internal Hard Drive

I'd like to be able to hold more photos in my laptop

I have a 2TB HDD, and a 4TB disk would let me do more work and hold more photos of James! The one linked will fit my laptop.

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Basic headphones

I can never have enough 3.5mm headphones with microphones.

Please not bluetooth ones. The ones linked are my favourite model, but all headphones gratefully recieved.

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AI credits

Credits for Claude AI - which I use daily

I find myself finding Anthropic's Claude API extremely helpful and taking up some of my money. It helps me do things faster, better than ever before and I'm finding it extremely helpful. I sometimes spend about $2 per day on it, and it easily is delivering £10 of value to me each time. Money towards it would be warmly welcomed.

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Books & Reading

Wild Spirit by Helen Lloyd

My friend wrote this book and I'd love to read it.

Unsolicited book recommendation: her other books are fantastic. Sadly I already own them.

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Time & Support

Babysitting

Time to help look after James - even 30 minutes makes a difference

Having someone watch James, even for a short while, gives us a chance to do essential tasks or have a brief rest. This gift of time is incredibly valuable to us. No special skills needed - just patience and enthusiasm!

Sentimental items

Photos or mementos of times we've shared together

I'd love photos of us doing things together, or items that help us remember shared experiences. Could be recent or from years ago - anything that might remind me of shared memories.

A stress-free Christmas

Would be dreamy

We all can try

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Note

Currently have plenty of books - prefer other gifts unless specifically listed

View Amazon Wishlist

Do you have gift ideas for you to share? 🎁

We'd love to see your gift list! It helps us if we're suffering from imagination failure.

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