The most romantic day of the year is fast approaching, and no doubt you’re thinking of sourcing a travel or literary-themed gift for your loved one. To help make things a little easier, we’ve compiled our top five Valentine’s Day gifts for him and her:
Valentine’s gifts for him:
1. Stanfords World Map Wallet
Launched only at the start of this year, the Stanfords World Map Wallet celebrates the world as it appeared in the early 1920s, with Europe on the wallet’s cover and Africa on the inside – two continents that have undergone huge changes and that, incidentally, will now do an excellent job storing your other half’s change. Two full-size partitions provide space for banknotes, while two front pockets will happily accommodate credit cards.
> Buy the Stanfords World Map Wallet!
2. Britannia Desk Globe (oak)
Every man dreams of retiring to the study, snifter of brandy in hand, and settling down with a book from the library. Or firing up the iPad to catch up on Utopia. Either way, the study (failing that, the living room, bedroom or even a glorified garden shed) needs a touch of class, something that doesn’t always come naturally to the male of the species. Step forward the oak Britannia Desk Globe, one of the most beautifully-crafted globes in our collection. Show your chap he means the world to you…
> Buy the oak Britannia Desk Globe!
3. Europe: Cruchley’s New Map of Europe c.1860
George Frederick Cruchley was among the most celebrated 19th century cartographers, and his 1860 ‘new’ map of Europe is regarded as one of his finest creations. If your boyfriend or husband has a thing for antique maps, he’ll love this – a map that stretches from the Atlantic to the Urals, one that details a Germany and Italy still waiting to be unified, a dominating Russia and the European part of Ottoman Turkey.
> Buy Cruchley’s New Map of Europe!
4. TeaSub Tea Infuser
It was one of the most psychedelic films of the 60s; a bizarre animated musical tribute to The Beatles. Its title sequence featured the celebrated Yellow Submarine, and John, Paul, George and Ringo were only too happy to sing about living there. 45 years on and the Yellow Submarine is back, though rather than carrying the Fab Four it’s doing just as sterling a job infusing tea leaves. Manufactured from silicone and safe to use in the dishwasher, the TeaSub will submerge your favourite tea to the bottom of the mug before creating the ideal infusion which, as explained below, is definitely romantic. Love, love me do.
5. Love Mumbai
It was the backdrop to one of the greatest love stories to have graced the cinema: Slumdog Millionaire. Famous for Indian Ocean sunsets, Marine Drive, picturesque Colaba and Leopold Café, Mumbai has been propelled into the hearts of many thanks the city forming the backdrop to Gregory David Roberts’ epic novel, Shantaram. Love Mumbai is a travel guide with a difference, broken down into sections like ‘adventurous’, ‘wildly adventurous’ and ‘delicious’, and part of a wider series aimed at the “the luxury vagabond”.
Valentine’s gifts for her:
1. Spineless Classics: The Great Gatsby
With the film release of F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby scheduled for the summer, there’s rarely been a better time to celebrate the roaring 20s. If your better half is a fan of this literary classic, they’ll love the Spineless Classics version, with the entire novel printed onto a single sheet – in the shape of Jay Gatsby and his beloved Rolls Royce.
> Buy Spineless Classics: The Great Gatsby!
2. Moleskin Passion Journals
In the age of the social network, keeping a diary has a certain nostalgic charm – especially if the diarist makes it past January. But why limit a journal to private thoughts and observations? With Moleskin Passion Journals, your loved one can record details of everything they’re passionate about, from books and music to recipes and wellbeing. Each journal page is divided by blank tabs that can be personalised with enclosed adhesive labels. And if you need any persuasion as to how exciting the entries will turn out, one only has to consult the words of Oscar Wilde: “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.”
> Buy one of the Moleskin Passion Journals!
3. In Focus: National Geographic Greatest Portraits
The front cover of this magnificent coffee table book is adorned by a powerful portrait of a Nevada rancher’s daughter, and this is where the superb standard of photography is set. Inside National Geographic’s Greatest Portraits is a collection of 280 images – from a relaxing Japanese geisha to a Peruvian boy weeping over the loss of his sheep – by some of the world’s best photographers.
> Buy National Geographic Greatest Portraits!
4. Tea Revives the World 1940
The gesture of brewing a cuppa for your girlfriend or good lady wife gives rise to one of life’s greatest simple pleasures: sipping a hot cup of tea. With winter’s icy chill refusing to budge for the first signs of spring, now’s the time to snuggle up on the sofa and appreciate this humble hot drink, and that’s where Tea Revives the World comes in: a reproduction of a 1940 world map detailing tea’s international journey from bush to pot. You won’t look at your PG Tips in the same way again.
> Buy Tea Revives the World 1940!
5. A to Z Atlas And Guide To London And Suburbs 1938/9
Before the outbreak of war in 1939, London was a city of trams and trolleybuses. But this sprawling, rapidly-growing urban metropolis proved a challenge to navigate for the uninitiated, so Phyllis Pearsall decided to publish the first London A-Z street atlas. Rightly regarded as a design classic and something of a London institution, we can’t think of a better way of navigating to your restaurant of choice on 14th February.
> Buy the A to Z Atlas And Guide To London And Suburbs 1938/9!
Still not sure about the above tokens of affection? Check out our extended range of Valentine’s Day gifts for him and her!