The thread was suggested to me by 'As Long as It's Fun, the Epic Voyages and Extraordinary Times of Lin and Larry Pardey by Herb McCormick. The Pardey's are, or who were, sadly Larry Pardey has passed away and left Lin in their final berth in New Zealand, two well known (in yachting circles) vagabonds of the sea who met young, she moved into his boat within 3 days of meeting him. Apparently she bought him a hammer as a hello present which he used to build the boat they first sailed around the world in.
For my part I bought my better half an angle grinder for her first birthday with me. I am not ashamed to admit that she is a far more adept craftsman (or person or woman or whatever) than me and can do anything from carpentry to brick laying when she sets her ferocious mind to it. Her forte is cabinet making and furniture restoration, which I think comes from her father who did the same sort of thing professionally.
The most controversial present I can remember was the set of matching suitcases bought for my mother for her birthday by my father. In his blundering naivety, he didn't see what this present might imply to a wife outside the context of a holiday! Silly bugger that he was! She didn't leave using the suitcases, nor did she get that holiday from him, until much later, as they fought their way through the rest of their lives together!
They were clean, in fact they still had the Watford Steam Laundry label on them, but they failed to impress. I don't think that wrapping them in gift wrap would have helped in any way, either, so it's probably as well that she hadn't.
