Tarquin, do stop complaining. You know we need to start the Christmas shopping now or there simply will not be enough time to get everything done. I need to leave most of December for spa days, or I just will be utterly exhausted.

Honestly, it's all so much harder these days. There used to be so many lovely chic gift shops where you could go to pick up a few stocking fillers. It only used to take me a couple of days in Harrods and three or four weekends away and all my Christmas shopping was wrapped up. Literally. It's always worth spending a bit extra for the wrapping service.