Some of my friends are amazing gift givers. They always seem to hit the right spot. I’m going to mention a pack of dishcloths I recently received which at first seemed an unlikely present, but are in fact hand knitted and just lovely. They proved to be what I had always wanted, but just didn’t know……

Then there are other friends, who panic. They hate the whole idea of shopping and as a result, often get it wrong - look away now - but I have been spotted at the local charity shop, just after Christmas with a carrier bag of perfectly nice, but totally unwanted gifts. The above is one of the many reasons that I started The Indytute. I love the unexpected. No, I personally don't want to bungee jump over a canyon, but I really do like learning something new, or eating in a spot that I wouldn’t normally visit, and I confess to having a slight fondness for an ‘escape’ room. The point is that there is an experience out there to suit everybody. They cost the same as a gift, but you are given a memory not a dusting hazard.

I do like to live in the moment. Of course I’m as bad as the next person when it comes to scrolling, but I am more than delighted to put my devices down, and go off on an adventure, and experiences are just that. Mini adventures.

Mini adventures make you think about your mates, and how they like to spend their time. It also solves the ‘couples gifts’ question. No longer a pressie each - they can go TOGETHER. Result. Like a lot of good gifts they might never have thought it, but when they are paddleboarding by moonlight, or getting to grips with a wine walk map, they will be experiencing a mini adventure. Which of course is what everybody needs……… that and some really smart, hand knitted dishcloths.