The best gifts are unexpected. The sunflowers are a gift from my mother, for my new office. She thought they’d remind me of France. They do. The office isn’t quite ready yet and so for now they’re cheering up the dining room at home.

And then there are those gifts that come from the past. This mini gardening set belonged to my grandmother. She used the watering can for her house plants, of which she had many. The tools she kept in her bag, for those occasions when she saw a plant she liked and ‘took a cutting’. This included public parks and other people’s gardens. I was very little at the time and I’d stand behind the garden wall, half laughing and half terrified we’d be discovered. The mini gardening kit was always in her bag, along with her Polo mints and assorted bags of cuttings. I’m so pleased that they’ve come to me. Though I won’t be using them in quite the same way.

Last Saturday night we went to IKEA.  It was all my idea.  I admit it.  I chose that time to avoid the queues.  We only went for a couple of desk tidies.

When you’re in there the trick is to follow the arrows.  Follow them and don’t deviate from the path.  Keep focused and don’t be tempted by the displays.  Don’t sit on the sofas and don’t rifle through the kitchen stuff.  Ever.

I don’t know what it is about that place.  The merchandisers must practise Voodoo.  There are not many places in the world where you’ll utter the words, “I can’t stand it anymore, I have to leave right now!” followed directly by, “Do you think we should get one of those duvet sets?”  And then after 30 minutes of following the arrows, somewhere between a pod chair suspended from the ceiling and a rocking chair made from recycled plant pots -  “Oh god, that’s it, I’m never going to get out.  I’m going to die in here.  I’m actually going to die in here.  How much are those bendy lamps?”

The final tally wasn’t too bad.  Two desk tidies, two waste paper baskets, three sets of patterned glasses and one small printer table.  Oh and one teeny tiny set of drawers for my desk.  Not quite sure yet what will fit in said drawers.  No doubt I’ll have to scrunch up the paper first to squeeze it in.  But it could’ve been worse, I suppose.