Holiday Gift Guide for the Anglophile
Let me guess – you love Britain, right? I know I do. Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to live there – and lucky me, I’ve got my wish as an adult, splitting my time between the UK and New York City. The best part is, living in England hasn’t dulled my love for the country (and its neighbours, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, of course!); in fact, it’s only made me love it more. If you love the UK as well, you’ll probably want Christmas gifts to reflect it. Here are the must-haves for the Anglophiles among us.
Quality Street Tin – $18.40 at Amazon
Sure, you can grab these for £5 (roughly $8) at ASDA, but if you were in the UK, you probably wouldn’t be an Anglophile, now would you? Instead, you’ll have to pay the export premium on this one, but I promise you it’ll be worth every penny. While everyone has at least one flavour they leave to rot (Strawberry Delight in the red wrapper over here), it’s still a classic and a must have for the Christmas season.
Mr. Kipling’s mince pies – $6.99 at English Tea Store
Christmas isn’t Christmas in England without a mince pie or two. While they’re certainly not my first choice of Christmas treat, a warmed one with some cream or vanilla ice cream never did anyone any harm.
Kate: The Future Queen by Katie Nicholl – $18.20 at Amazon
I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t love Kate Middleton, and for good reason: she’s amazing. Kate: The Future Queen is a biography that traces the Duchess of Cambridge’s life, from her early years and throughout her long and sometimes rocky courtship with Prince William, all the way up to the couple’s wedding day. You’ll be glued to this – and simultaneously wish Kate – ahem, Catherine – was your best friend. With all the juicy details about her life (many of which have never before been revealed), maybe you can just pretend she is!
Item sponsored by Weinstein Books
Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Gold tea bags – $14.76 for 160 at Amazon
Brits love a proper cup of tea, and honestly, most of the stuff we sell here in the US is watered down and can hardly be considered tea. Yorkshire Gold is a bold blend that’ll definitely wake you up and really tastes delicious, as well. Add a little cream (and sugar, if you really must) and boiling water and you’re off!
Doctor Who TARDIS throw blanket = $24.99 at ThinkGeek
If you’re an Anglophile and don’t watch Doctor Who, then I’m not quite sure what’s going on with your life. Do yourself a favour and catch up via Hulu Plus, Netflix, DVDs, SOMETHING! If you’re already a Who fan, then this item needs no introduction. It’s a TARDIS blanket, and it is the best. The end.
Union Jack Wellies – $23.95 at Amazon
This gift is a two-for-one deal. First of all, there’s this stereotype about how it’s always raining in Britain, and I’ve gotta say… it’s true. If you’re living anywhere in the UK, really, wellies are a necessity. You most likely wouldn’t wear ones with union jack flags on them if you were there, but you’re not, so live it up and embrace your Anglophile tendencies.
Keep Calm & Carry On Wall Decals – $14.38 at Wayfair.com
Is there anything more quintessentially British than the whole ‘keep calm and carry on’ thing which seems to have sprung back into popularity over the past couple of years? Well, now you can have a reminder on your wall every day, along with a crown, a red phone box, and a flag! Come on, you know you want to.
William Shakespeare Socks – $7.99 at Modcloth
Uh, WHAT? These are amazing. Shakespeare is obviously the most well-known, well-respected and all-around legendary English writers in history, and what’s better than wearing him on your feet?
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Crackers – $29.95 at Williams-Sonoma
You can’t have a proper Christmas dinner without some crackers to go ’round. Wearing your paper crown is a necessity, and you never know what fun toy you might get in your half after pulling. Last year, I got a baby set of tweezers that were totally useless, but really cute.
