So what did you get?

Had one of these last year. Still manages to raise a smile.

We did things a bit differently this year. And despite the fact i'm feeling very rough, was a great christmas! One of the best in a long time.

I recieved a nice big pile of Cds and DVDs, and books.

A few items of clothing (including a Leopard print thong from girlfriends sister - goes right up the arse crack though, so perhaps i'll need to change it for a MOre fitting size ).

Digeredoo, which I've little idea of how to make a noise with... well, a *proper* noise.

Pioneer freeview box. Sen 580 headphones.

Bop It!!!!!! Possibly the greatest toy ever?

Smellies.

But best of all, a great day with my family

Was meant to be going to see my older brother today, but have spent the day coughing, sniffing, sneezing, and throwing up


I'm off to read my book of "Crap Towns - The 50 worst places to live in the UK" Anyone want me to check where they come in? Newport (which i'm quite near) comes in at 34, despite now being a City

 

I'm sure I will forget something, but, on the whole:

A DVD video and lots of funny CDs - Yes Minister (just love it to madness), faulty Towers, several Bergman films, Jurassic Park 3 (I am very eclectic as you see), and more.

Lots of books. I'd single out Leonardo's notebooks and a beautiful book on pre-historic art.

No Audio Cds: as all the family know I have about everything I want I seldom get gifts of that kind.

Also season cakes (German, Italian and Portuguese) and one of my brothers gave me a flask of Mémoire d'Homme (Nina Ricci) - I think he was pulling my leg, really. Only he is older than me, so...

Gloves and things.

The best gift will be the harpsichord. It hasn't yet arrived.

But as I grow older, the pleasure is more on giving than getting. One particular present pleased me very much: my eldest brother has the strongest resemblance possible to a character of 'Party Games', the transition between Yes Prime Minister and Yes Prime Minister - the French commissioner. His voice, his appearance, his gait, his gestures, even his glasses are so similar you'd think they were twins. It's just unbelievable. And he just loves the series. So I gave him the tape.

And, of course, I took the utmost care in choosing the presents for my parents and my wife.

 

Indeed... giving is more fun.

I got my mum a breadmaker, and got my dad a CD set with the OS landranger 1:50000 mapping for the southern half of the UK on it, and my brother got a CD.

 

Well it wasn't a pressie, but my CD5i finally arrived.

Only question now is whether I keep it.
It's still warming up, so can't tell you how good it is. Naim gear usually takes over a month to "burn in".
More to the point, I now have some additional cash, and am considering taking the CD5i back and replacing it with a CDX2. Tell you guys more by the end of Monday.

 

I don't think anyone will top that as the most unusual gift. How the other half live, eh?

This year, Santas Swag Bag did mostly contain... a stack of CDs (some Floyd, Missy Elliot, Radiohead, Jet and a Derek & Clive Live album ) DVD, a nice Cross pen and a fabulous game which we had great fun playing with as a drinking game last night.

Best present though was this was my first Christmas as a Dad.

 

Yours is better than mine. Mind you: both can go wrong if ill-handled! (I mean metaphorically, of course!)

 

Hey RdS, you want one of these...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2583197173&category=359



Tony.

 

You mean they actually sell pipe organs at E-Bay??

The price is not extravagant (it will be, after packing, installation and re-harmonization), but one would have to play it beforehand to know the kind of instrument it really is..

The problem with this kind or organ is that they are too big to be played in a ordinary home, and too small to be of great help musically. An organ - an all-purpuse study one, at least - must at least have two keyboards and a pedalboard. This is an one keyboard, no pedals (it seems) one.

So its problem is being too big and yet too small.

Difficult to please, arent' I?

 

Ah - but do you reckon the 5i has merit? I'm thinking of replacing my elderly Rega Planet Mk1, and the 5i, Planet 3, and whatever else Audio-T happens to have lying around are on the shortlist for audition. "out of the box" does the 5i have musical merit, or is it rougher than a middle-aged whore??