It's the thought that counts

At one extreme are the smug planners; at the other desperate last-minuters

- Jonathan Self

THE season of peace on earth and goodwill to men is upon us and with it a certain amount of pressure to buy or (if you are a child/into macramé) make suitable gifts for your nearest and dearest. One wants, after all, to get it right. Present-givers fall into various categories. At one extreme are the smug, long-term planners, many of whom completed their Christmas shopping at knockdown prices during the summer sales. At the other extreme are the desperate last-minuters, who leave everything until 6pm on Christmas Eve, when they are to be found fighting in pharmacies with others of their kind over shop-soiled gift sets.