Tis the season to turn one's mind towards what we might put under that famous conifer. If we all take up the suggestions that are being touted far and wide it seems that the land will be awash with jars of chutney, home-made socks and bottles of sloe gin - all very nice I'm sure, but there is a limit to the number of times we can greet this trio with cries of joy.

So I'm going off-piste today. Make your chutney and your socks if you will - me, I love the glittery department stores come Christmas time. But since you all know about them anyway, here are a few more niche suggestions that may come in handy.

First off, our most successful children's presents last year came from the Science Museum. There are wonderfully entertaining as well as educational toys - some that enable children to learn about electronics (£34.99 for Electro Mag, winner of one of its splendid Smart Toy Awards) or chemistry (Chemistry Lab, £24.99) - but there are also plenty that are just plain fun, such as the two-way walkie-talkies (£49.99) and Antworks, a space-age ant habitat designed by Nasa to study ants in micro-gravity (£19.99). You can get it all online, but best of all is to go there.

While you're in that part of Central London, pop into the V&A for fantastic presents for adults. It has pretty jewellery at extraordinarily low prices, but also more esoteric things that you won't find elsewhere. For instance, Laura McCafferty's embroidered, appliquéd and printed canvas - one of 25 limited pieces for £125 each. Or a Thermos flask embellished with a William Morris print for just £14, and some really pretty coloured glasses for £10 a time.

Next up, some niche catalogues. One of my favourites is RE (telephone 01434 634567). It loves the sort of things that I love - the quirky, often old, little things that give a house some character and distinction. What it sells depends on what it finds. At the moment it has a cache of wonderful, bright green American glassware: cake stands, jugs and glasses, all made from original moulds. And none of it is very expensive. The cake stands (pictured) are £49 for the largest, jugs are £25, glasses £9 - but the colour is fabulous and they are certainly unusual.

Not On The High Street (0870 6260931) is another favourite, for its range through jewellery, beauty and fashion to children's toys. A few random thoughts - a fabulously pretty lime green, rose-embellished overnight bag for £55, a classic plain brown leather satchel for £95 and lots for the stocking.

The Volga Linen Company (0844 4991609) has a boxed set of impeccably plain damask hand towels, each monogrammed with an initial of choice, for £44. It has also taken to selling some of my favourite soaps: Ortigia. They are made using only natural ingredients indigenous to the Mediterranean. A single bar of soap is £18 but be generous and add in the candle (£20) and bath oil (£25). Choose from pomegranate or bergamot.

Shanghai Tang (6a-b Sloane Street, London SW1) has some sumptuous photograph albums, silk-covered and heavily embroidered, from £45, as well as some distinctive ceramics such as tea caddies and lamp bases with just the right amount of Chinese influence.

For foodies and cooks, I can't think of anything better than a luxury pack of fish from the Fish Society. If you haven't discovered it, you're in for a treat. All the varieties that you can't always find locally (halibut, turbot, crab, proper potted shrimps, salt cod, wild sea trout) can be delivered as fresh as the morning to your door. For a real treat, send a fish hamper; the luxury selection costs £109 and the recipient will feast off it for weeks (everything arrives ready to freeze if you wish).

And what, you may be interested to know, do I really want? Two hours of my tech-savvy daughter-in-law's time, that's what. If you're pushed for cash and stuck for ideas, there's a thought. There are plenty more like me who'd infinitely rather have some help getting the iPod, the digital camera, the scanning and all the rest sorted than yet another sweater.

For more Christmas gilf ideas visit out Christmas Gift Guide .

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