My Brilliant Weekend

That’s the claim being made by John Lewis this Christmas. And it’s a big one, isn’t it? So we thought that we’d take a look at their present range and see what was on offer.

Here’s a selection of gift ideas that we thought they’d got about on the nail:

• Metronic Setanta set-top box - £59.95. Great for sports fans, this is a digital set-top box with a Setanta connection and one month’s subscription thrown in. Viewers can enjoy 46 exclusively live FA Barclays Premiership football matches, Scottish Premier League Football, US PGA Tour golf and rugby. It also supports digital teletext and favourite channel listings.
• New Apple iPod Touch, 16GB, Black - £269. Because you can’t really argue with this (as reflected by its price tag). Sleek and black, only 8mm thick with a 3.5in widescreen suitable for watching movies. Touch-screen navigation allows you to browse items by cover art then flip it to view track listings. The 16GB hard drive stores up to 3,500 songs, 20,000 photos or 20 hours of video. Enjoy five hours of video or 22 hours of audio playback from a single recharge. Also includes wi-fi capability for internet use or iTunes store connection.
• BaByliss Beliss 2715U mains hot air styler - £24.95. What do you mean, not exciting? Have you any idea how popular these things are? Suitable for smoothing and straightening different hair types, its ceramic-coated plates and ionic conditioning reduce frizz. Three heat/speed settings with a cool shot for extra versatility.
• WMF 1 Coffee Maker - £79. Dispense with the office cold this winter as well as the necessity to either clean the communal coffee jug or drink hours-old black syrup with enough caffeine to space out an elephant. This one-cup coffee maker will serve up your personal beverage in less than a minute. The integrated water tank contains just the amount of water you need for one cup. It even comes with its own porcelain mug.
• Philips TT2022 Bodygroom Shave and Trimmer - £34.95. Nothing metrosexual about this at all, no sir! This neat little gadget trims and shaves all areas of the body, is fully waterproof so you can use it in the shower, and the 12-hour charge gives you up to 50 minutes’ use. There are also three variable-length attachments provided for a more precise trimming. Plus, it includes three months’ free subscription to Men’s Health magazine.
• HoMedics SBM-300 Shiatsu Massaging Cushion - £159. Oh, the luxury! A state-of-the-art moving dual massage mechanism for an incredibly deep effect. Rolling massage plus spot shiatsu massage to hit that uncomfortable ache spot-on. An ultra-comfortable padded cushion to melt all your tension, muscle pain and fatigue away. Six programmes for the full, lower or upper back, three vibration speeds plus an adjustable width setting for your rolling massage. Programmable touch-pad control for customisation. Can you see yourself giving this away?
• John Lewis 100 per cent cashmere knitwear - from £49. Get a present that’ll really be appreciated. Here you’ll find all kinds of styles from the simple to the exotic, made from superior yarn to guarantee quality and value. And there’s a helpful womenswear buying guide too.

What do you think? Do you rate John Lewis, or do you have another top pick for Christmas bargains and great ideas? Let us know in the comments section.