Stuck for ideas on Christmas gifts? Travelling soon? BAA has launched an online gift wish list - airportgiftlist.co.uk – and with help from a range of celebrities and shopping experts including Strictly Come Dancing’s Tess Daly and Spooks’ Rupert Penry-Jones, is giving top tips on what to buy at the airport. Six lists have been compiled covering everyone from him and her to foodies and luxury lovers to kids and gadget fans and they are sure to help as each one has around 30 great gift ideas. Additionally, anyone who feels their loved ones need a little help when it comes to selecting just the right present can create a wish list of their own which can be accessed by or emailed to whoever they choose. Gift givers then have the comfort of not only knowing they have got it just right but also that they can pick up the items at airport prices as they travel through.
Shoppers who are still undecided after reviewing the gift lists can send their questions to BAA’s Christmas agony aunts at email: info@airportgiftlist.co.uk. Any enquiry from “if she doesn’t like it can I return it” to “what brands of handbags can I buy in Terminal 3?” Personal responses will be sent to all enquiries and a number of these questions and answers will be posted anonymously on the website to help other gift buyers.
From the six lists, celebrities and other experts have chosen their own must-have items.
Tess Daly’s presenting role on Strictly Come Dancing which she co-hosts with Bruce Forsyth has made her a household name and national treasure. Not only is she a successful TV personality but she is also well-known for her sense of style and glamorous appearance – whatever the occasion. Tess is married to television presenter Vernon Kay and together they have a four year-old daughter called Phoebe. The family travels regularly, citing New York, Paris and New Zealand as some of their favourite travel destinations. From the ‘For Her’ list Tess chose the La Prairie Bronzer and Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Traveller Set from World Duty Free, she says: “The miraculous Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream is always on my beauty essentials travel list and has long been a favourite of mine. It's perfect for dehydrated skin on planes.” She also picked out “timeless” Giselle leather jacket from Reiss and the Thomas Pink Rania dress. From the broader list, Tess had her eye on a bit of luxury for herself in the form of a Mulberry bronze snake clutch and to block out the Christmas chaos, the Denon noise cancelling headphones from Dixons.
Rupert Penry-Jones: The British actor is best known for his role as Adam Carter in MI5-inspired television series Spooks. Currently back on our screens in a new series he will also appear in the BBC remake of 39 Steps this Christmas. Rupert hails from a family of actors and actresses and is married to the stunning actress Dervla Kirwan with whom he has two children. Rupert’s earliest memory of an airline flight was at age seven when he flew to Antigua to film an advert for apple juice and he’s loved flying abroad ever since. On the ‘For Him’ list Rupert singled out a beautiful Mont Blanc classique pen which he said would make his wife very jealous! He cited the cold temperatures actors face on night shoots and, as such, slipped a Fat Face winter warmer hip flask on to this list. His other favourite items on this list included Dior Homme aftershave, a Paul Smith camera and the latest Jeremy Clarkson book. For his wider list Rupert went straight for the gadgets as every good spy should, excitedly picking out a Sony PSP, the new iPod Nano, a Porsche DAB radio and the Myvu personal media viewer all from Dixons.
Kinvara Balfour: a well-respected voice on global fashion, style and beauty, former style editor on the Saturday Telegraph Magazine, Kinvara, now works as international editor for style website DailyCandy.com, an insider’s guide to what’s cool and undiscovered, which goes to over 2.5 million subscribers in key cities across the world. Kinvara’s instinctive ability to scout out the best-of-the-best across the globe takes her to the forefront of the fashion industry and made her an obvious choice to compile the ‘For Indulgence’ list. Choosing only the most fabulous items from the departure lounge, Kinvara's indulgent list includes everything from the Marlene Dietrich Mont Blanc pen (Pen Shop) to Swarovski Encrusted Face Caviar by La Prairie in World Duty Free. Kinvara says "not only does the Face Caviar keep the wrinkles at bay, it gives the skin an amazing glow: something I need when flying to and fro on countless aeroplanes." Kinvara's choices also include the Smythson Maze bag which she proclaims ticks all the right boxes, a Harrods cashmere gift set – perfect for flying and a Paul Smith selection of limited edition prints. From the wider list the style guru selected a hamper from Fortnum & Mason and a TomTom 930T from Dixons. She also chose a delightful illustrated Paddington Bear book for her godson.
Olly Smith: a TV presenter specialising in wine and food, Olly appears regularly on BBC1's Saturday Kitchen and Richard and Judy's Wine Club as well as hosting live events such as the Taste Festival in London, Tapas Fanaticas and the F Word Live. Olly rose to fame in 2005 after winning 'Wine Idol', a national TV search for a television presenter who could enthuse the nation about wines. Olly responded eagerly when approached to choose the ‘For Foodies’ list, first selecting a Fortnum & Mason Christmas pudding. Olly proclaims that, when it comes to Christmas dinner, you should "start with the pudding and work your way back." Warming to his theme, Olly also chose Florentines and mince pies from Harrods. A big whisky fan, proclaiming it "one of the world's best drinks", he next picked the Macallan Elegancia, exclusive to World Duty Free and then a bottle of the new Beefeater 24 gin. Gordon Ramsay's 'Cooking for Friends' was Olly's ‘must read’ pick on the For Foodies list. From the broader list Olly also chose Rick Stein's 'Coast to Coast', the limited edition Omega Bond watch, a Ted Baker Pedros paisley shirt, Prada Butterfly sunglasses for his wife (Sunglass Hut) and a Sony Style Rolly portable MP3 player.
Michael Brook: as editor of UK-based gadget and technology magazine, T3, which celebrates the best new technologies that appear on the market, Michael is at the forefront of technology trends and innovations and ideal to select the items for the ‘For Gadget Lovers’ list. He has chosen some of the sleekest must-haves in the gadget world from the Apple Macbook Air (Dixons) to the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte, which he colorfully describes as “sexier than a hat full of knickers.” Also on his wish list is the Sony eBook Reader and the Archos Internet Media Tablet.
In addition to these lists is one ‘For Kids’ which includes gifts to suit a range of pockets from the Nintendo DS Lite, an iPod Nano (Dixons) or a piggy bank from Links to the Harrods Christmas Bear 2008, T-shirts from Fat Face and great wooden toys from Hamleys.
Says Nick Adderley, marketing director at BAA: “The gift list is an exciting new online service which we believe will help shoppers flying through our airports choose just the right gifts this Christmas.”
Free to set up, users can create up to six personal lists and every list created enters the user into a free prize draw to win their list up to the value of £2,000. To start building your gift list visit www.airportgiftlist.co.uk.
For further information please contact Mel Diamond or Chanelle Denton at The SPA Way on 020 7403 6900 or by email: chanelle.denton@thespaway.com.
Notes to Editors:
Shop & Collect: UK passengers departing from any BAA airport to a destination within the EU may purchase whatever items they wish in the departure lounge and collect them from the Shopping Collection Point in arrivals on their return.
World Shopping Promise: BAA's World Shopping Promise enables you to enjoy the shops, restaurants and bars at our airports in total confidence. Our commitment to customer satisfaction extends throughout and beyond your journey through our airports, ensuring that your shopping experience is as enjoyable, rewarding and convenient as possible. Shop with total peace of mind thanks to our worldwide money back guarantee.
T3 is the gadget magazine which is packed to the hilt with all the latest gear, that's been rigorously tried and tested and put through its paces by us to ensure that you know what's worth your hard-earned and what's not.
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