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Over 40 years ago i was given a tortoise called Tommy for Christmas.  He is still going strong!

The best one was being left alone to do as I please all Christmas week (other half went abroad to spend it with his mother).  Probably wouldn’t want to repeat it every year, but once in a while it’s really great to have a chance to only listen to yourself and your own desires

I got a red Raleigh Chopper for my Christmas in 1976.  I was told I was getting a bike but that I would’t be a Chopper because it ‘looked ridiculouse’. Best surprise ever, I loved that bike!

Well, I was too young to remember, but for my first Christmas, my parents gave me a little silver bell ornament with my name and birthday on it.

I have been told I completely ignored it, even when they let me shake it and hear it ring. As years went by, I remember hanging it on the tree each year. And while it was nice to see a familiar ornament, I was much more interested in my stocking and toys.

Almost 60 years later, I still hang my silver bell on the tree each year, but now it is a warm memory of all my Christmases, with family and friends, many of whom are now gone. It’s just a little silver bell, probably plated, not sterling, but it’s not Christmas each year until I place it on the tree.

My best present ever was my sewing machine & I didn’t even know I wanted one! I have loved watching the Great British Sewing Bee on TV for years, but never thought I would be able to sew anything myself. I am disabled so I have struggled for hobbies that I can take part in without too much pain, so when my husband surprised me with my own sewing machine, I was nervous, but it turned out I loved it. I can actually make wearable clothes & I enjoy doing it!

The greatest gift I ever received was a family holiday to Corfu. It was from my mum and it was our first holiday as a family with our eldest

My best ever present was the Ghostbusters Fire Station, which I had wanted all year, after loving the Real Ghostbusters cartoon on TV. After loving the toy for months and going through countless tubs of slime, I fell in love with it all over again on seeing the original film and getting add-on toys for later birthdays. I passed on all of these toys to my son when he turned three and he loves them every bit as much as I did.

A few years ago my partner took me diving with sharks. It was incredible!

That would be when I was still at primary school and I had been longing for a pair of roller boots to replace the metal strap on scates I had. They were blue and yellow with a yellow end stop on each boot. I loved them so much I wore them as much as I could - I remember I wore them to school one day and forgot to take proper shoes with me so ahd to wear my PE plimsolls all day. I must have been so fit back then!!

Let me take you back to the 1960,s when on Christmas morning  I thought I had only got a small tin of Quality Street, an orange &  an apple in my stocking. (Apple not as we know it now high tech!)  To my delight Mum appeared with a parcel that I opened to discover a transistor radio.  It was bigger than two house bricks but belted out my favourites, The Beatles, Rolling Stones & Beach Boys so I was really happy & managed to carry it around with me.  I know Mum saved vèry hard  to get it which made it extra special xx

The greatest gift I received was when I was a kid and really wanted a bike. It lasted me for 7 yrs even tho i grew out of it, It was the only bike i ever had from new. I did my paper round and hung out with my friends i loved that bike

As a child, I was given a wee runt piglet by a neighbouring farmer. He went for walks with the dogs and rolled over to have his belly rubbed. I loved him to bits. Sadly I came home from school one day to find he had ended up in the freezer. I will still not eat pork.

I add a train set for Christmas, but no transformer, so when I plug ed in to the mains, there was smoke and the train melted the track, no moor train set.

I feel like the best gifts I have received are very small, inexpensive things, but items that I know that the person has put a lot of thought into, or make me realise that they really listen to what I say and remember them. Things like small plushies my partner has bought me that I have mentioned in passing when in stores and then forgotten about myself, or things that I mention in conversation that I would like and then people take notice of them, and surprise me with them. Those are always my favourite kinds of gifts! 

An engagement ring from my now husband 10 years ago - a lovely surprise!

When I was five my parents gave me a pink gameboy colour. It was the first time I had received anything if it’s kind. It came with the Pokémon yellow aswell, Pokémon was my favourite thing at the time. I still remember it and still have the gameboy over 20 years later (sitting somewhere packed safely away) 

Tricky. Different presents at different ages always have their own unique "greatness" and memories. But the most long-lived memory must either be the OO Hornby trainset, which my dad had set up on a large board in the attic, or the 6ft snooker table, also in the attic, which my brother and I spent hours and hours playing. 

My best Christmas gift was a Sega when I was a child it made me so happy

A pinball machine! My dad did some work for a family running an arcade and he took part payment with a full sized pinball machine. I thought i was the pinball wizard from the film ‘Tommy’. It took up half my bedroom and I loved it.

The best gift I had was a bike when I was little because it was so unexpected. It was a Raleigh Chopper. 

My greatest gift was my first digital camera as a teenager, as I loved taking photos. A digital camera meant that I had the freedom to take more photos and delete! 

For me it was a new computer as my then current PC was a 5th tier hand me down running Windows 98 SE. Running Windows 7 let me catch up and play new games etc. 

Best Christmas present ever has been, because I hope someone can top it up, a-10-night-trip to NYC on my own ! Epic !

My all time favorite Christmas gift was a Barbie camper with all the trimmings. It was second hand but it had everything from Barbie and Ken to Knifes and forks

The best give I ever got was a shiny red bike off my grandparents, then my grandad took me out and patiently taught me how to ride my bike. It took ages - I was about 10 and had never been on a bike before. I loved it so much!