The Christmas present I’ll never forget
Writers on their best, worst and most surprising gifts
‘I expected an LP, but it was a watercolour map of Melbourne’ – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
My tough scouser grandma was a weaver of yarns, a teller of blitz stories, a bowler for Lancashire – and painter of meticulous maps as unforgettable as her
I got a two-tone purple bike, pale violet and aubergine. God, I felt cool – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
I was 11 or 12 and absolutely delighted, riding it around town in my faux fur white coat and a pair of purple DMs
I opened the wrapping paper to reveal a yellow cleaning caddy and an apron – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
My boyfriend got a jumper, and I got a load of products to clean the house. Fortunately, as the child of divorced parents, I was used to awkward situations
That diary was tangible proof that exciting things were about to happen – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
I had to turn down a coat with dead fox draped over it – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
He gave me a battered copy of a book I already owned, and I felt I’d come home – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
I had my tongue pierced … and couldn’t eat the turkey – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
We planned epic Scalextric tournaments as we watched TFI Friday – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
I curled up with my sister and we opened our stockings together one last time – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
Everything’s more fun with my cherry-red keytar – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
After a difficult few years, I started playing with a band and now feel as if I am living life in full colour again
I made my mum a brush out of a coat hanger and two balls of wool – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
Having no money and no clue, I took my gifting advice from Blue Peter. My mother put the homemade object in a drawer – and we never spoke of it again
My girlfriend tracked down Tiger Mask to a shop in Japan – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
I had spotted the wrestler mask in a tiny place in Tokyo years before but couldn’t afford it – and I always regretted it
I loved those blue Doc Martens with all my teenage heart – the Christmas gift I’ll never forget
People expect a young, blond disabled woman to be dainty and quiet. My DMs were evidence of my willingness to break the mould
I unwrapped Dad’s terrible gift and went off like a catherine wheel – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
He’d brought a Sainsbury’s carrier bag full of gifts. I can’t stress how unusual this was – ‘out of character’ doesn’t begin to cover it
I wanted a space rocket so my dad built me a wooden Apollo 11 in his garage – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
My parents weren’t rich but they always made me feel I could have exactly what I dreamed of
