“When my husband proposed to me in India, I told him I didn’t want an engagement ring as we were short of money. Ten years later he whisked me off to the same spot, for an early Christmas holiday and whipped out a diamond Tiffany ring. I was overwhelmed as he’s not usually a man prone to wild romantic gestures.”

“My son, who was 10 at the time, gave me a wooden cheeseboard that was personalised to me: ‘the best mum in the world’. It melted my heart.”

“I was gifted some beautiful handmade beeswax candles by some of our customers. It was all the more special because it was so unexpected. Especially after a really busy few weeks doing Christmas prep for the bakery.”

“Growing up, my gorgeous late Dad made my sister and I a doll’s house – complete with wallpaper, lights in each room, and furniture. He must have spent months making it while we were asleep, and the thought of it reminds me of just how thoughtful he always was.”

“My on/off boyfriend had dumped me again, a week before Christmas – doubtless to avoid shelling on a present. My best friend, who’d never hidden her dislike of him, cheered me up with three thoughtful gifts: a bottle of Thunderbird (our preferred pre-clubbing tipple), The Body Shop Fuzzy Peach perfume (which we were convinced made us irresistible) and a new diary. Previous volumes had been full of woes about my ex, which my friend had read, then mocked me for. She promised to respect my privacy in future, as long as I found a better use of ink than moping about him. (Spoiler: it worked.)”

“When I was considerably younger I had a boyfriend, who was very charming, very handsome and quite well off. One Christmas he gave me cash to buy my own present. I chose a pair of diamond stud earrings, which I have since worn almost every day for more than 20 years. So, although not desperately romantic on his part, they’ve stood the test of time and are without doubt the best £500 he ever spent.”

“The first Christmas after my daughter was born, my husband printed out practically every photograph we had taken of her from birth and created a wonderful photo album. The first year of motherhood goes in such a blur, so it is lovely to have a physical reminder.”

“The most thoughtful gift I received was from my parents-in-law. I had lost my cat Bee six months prior. She lived to the ripe old age of 20, but I was bereft without her. My mother-in-law, Eve, was so thoughtful and gifted me Beckett, a silver spotted British shorthair. He is so handsome, a bit like a snow leopard, with all the regality and beauty that he can muster. He arrived just at a time when I needed him most.”