Countdown to Christmas! Our team's ultimate festive gift guide
2019 has been an extraordinary year. But I won’t rattle through the highlights, we’ve all had our headlines dominated by Brexit, the election and market machinations for long enough now, so I think it’s high time we settle in for the festive season, and celebrate the good things in life.
That’s why I’d like to talk about presents. Can you remember your favourite ever Christmas present? And what’s on your wish list this year? Let me know in the comments, maybe Father Christmas checks Linkedin these days.
To get us started, here’s a selection from our lovely financial planners and portfolio managers here at Sanlam. Happy Christmas one and all.
Stuart Rosling, Head of Advisory, Sanlam Private Wealth
The best present I ever had was getting to fly an aeroplane! I’d always loved the idea of being a pilot and I was lucky enough to fly a Cessna 152 across the South Downs with the assistance of a pilot. I did the take-off, landing, a couple of cork screws and even a loop the loop! It was incredible really, highly recommended for anyone you know with the same dream.
Paula Eddery, Head of Client Investment Strategy, Sanlam Private Wealth
I love getting cookbooks for Christmas, although usually I end up cooking loads of interesting recipes in the first couple of months and then end up back to my old staples. That’s why the best one I’ve ever been given was Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat, it’s a beautiful book generally but it also teaches the real fundamentals of good cooking, so you learn how to improve the recipes that you already know how to make as well as new ones. The author also has a great Netflix series, which might be on the cards for the post-Christmas day meal!
Anna Dumas, Strategy Manager, Sanlam Private Wealth
As much fun as it is opening presents at Christmas, I love getting experiences as presents. Last year was my best ever, I got taken to see Letters Live at the Union Chapel and it was completely magical; different celebrities (you don’t know who it’s going to be) read out famous letters to the audience. We were lucky enough to hear Olivia Colman perform, fresh from her Oscar win! It’s on again this year in March for three nights only, so if you’re struggling with a present for some I’d definitely recommend it.
Alice Farrer, Investment Manager, Sanlam Private Wealth
This might be a little unrealistic (!) but my dream present would be an electric car. I’d love to change our diesel-guzzling family wagon in for something that was a little gentler on the environment.
Kate Barton, Client and Advisor Support Manager, Sanlam Wealth Planning
This year I am hoping to get lots of maps and books covering European road trips as this is the plan for summer 2020 (in our campervan). I have also asked for a travel planner journal so can’t wait to pore over the maps and start making plans…..once I’ve finished cooking Christmas dinner!
Hugh Johnson, Head of Proposition Delivery, Sanlam Wealth Planning
The best (in terms of the one I remember being most excited to get) was a Boglin. I think they were only £10 at the time, so my mum must have been pretty pleased. My brother still has his and now they sell as vintage toys on ebay for up to £80! That’s a 700% return – av. 23% pa.
Samantha Young, Investment Assistant, Sanlam Private Wealth
A bit cheesy but my best ever Christmas present was my engagement ring, my husband proposed over the festive period in 2011.
Andrew Lewis, Business Development Director, Sanlam Private Wealth
I vividly remember opening a Christmas present when I was 12, and being beside myself when I saw that it was a ZX Spectrum! I couldn’t believe my luck, it was my first ever computer (and it meant that I got to play PAC Man at home). We take technology so much for granted now, it’s quite nostalgic to look back and think about just how exciting that was.
Well, you can tell those were really good presents because they still glitter in the memory. A poorly-chosen gift can be surprisingly upsetting. Think of my poor friend Jenny. A couple of years ago, Jenny opened a large, exciting-looking Christmas present from her husband James. It was a set of saucepans. James simply didn’t understand why his wife burst into tears and wouldn’t speak to him.
And who can forget that devastating scene in Love, Actually where Emma Thompson’s character Karen has come across a beautiful necklace which she assumes is her husband’s present to her? On Christmas Day, when Karen opens his parcel to find a much drearier gift, she realises instantly that the husband is having an affair. Emma Thompson trying to sob silently in her bedroom, before putting on a smile and returning to the family downstairs, is so devastating because we can all remember disappointing Christmasses where a gift revealed that someone hadn’t thought about us. And it really is the thought that counts.
As I get older, I love presents that come with the promise of something to look forward to - a West End show, a concert with a lovely lunch attached, even a map where X marks the spot of some as yet unknown adventure.
This is the hinge of the year and, as the door of 2019 swings shut, another decade opens up. Let’s enter it with hope and a huge sense of possibility. Give yourself the gift of time out to reflect on all the good things you have.
A very happy Christmas to you and those you love.