11 December 2008: Beccy chose between 100 glow sticks, a meat slicer and a bronze salmon

The classified gift list became spectacular

Beccy returned to the odd items available for sale. A bundle of 100 glow sticks looked almost sensible beside a professional meat slicer and a huge bronze leaping salmon.

The meat slicer raised practical questions

Scott wanted to know whether specialist training was required and how easily an enthusiastic amateur could injure themselves. A bargain household purchase was therefore discussed with the caution normally reserved for industrial machinery.

The salmon won on visual impact

A four-foot metal fish was not exactly easier to accommodate, but it had the advantage of being less likely to remove a finger. The recurring classified feature worked because Beccy always seemed able to find objects which were simultaneously tempting, pointless and impossible to store.