Special present for DH - help please.

Lots of great ideas here! If he has a particular interest, maybe a weekend away. If he like to fish, then a weekend at a fishing resort, golf weekend at a fancier club, etc. Of course you could tag along as his second, but feet up with a good book while he is off enjoying his adventure.

Of course it depends on budget as well...

I order meals from Dishpatch online. There are quite a few choices of chefs but I get meals from Michel Roux, when cooked they look exactly like the photographs so you feel as if you have achieved something special. Add a good bottle of wine or Champagne and you have a delicious meal.

I suspect, kitty, the best gift your husband could have is to see you getting better.

I think so too and hope you're properly on the mend now, kitty.

Racking my brains but would he like 'an experience'? Sometimes, when you buy a birthday card, it comes with an advert for various experience.

Does he play golf? A golf day (but not in the snow!)
A trip in a hot air balloon?
Is he adventurous, something like a sporting experience
Something to do with food or drink? A visit to a distillery?

Or a lovely meal with family and a glass of 🥂 to toast him and say thank you for being so wonderful.

My husband likes maps as well you can get a map of virtually anything nowadays centred on an area he may be interested in wherever you wish on the Internet. He has also enjoyed Helicopter rides over area he is interested in . He likes flat cap and tilley hats which I have easily ordered from the hatstore online . If you can't find a cooker school chefs like James Martin do demo days that are really good and entertaining if you can find one nearby?

Mr C has very much enjoyed photography workshop days. Usually at stately homes. His favourite was being shown how to take photos of owls.

Otherwise he has most enjoyed a family meal as he likes nothing better than having our family all in the same place at the same time. Either in a restaurant or a meal/afternoon tea delivered to our home by a personal chef or restaurant.

I suspect, kitty, the best gift your husband could have is to see you getting better.

Does he already have a season ticket for his favourite football club?

This year DC gave DH an hours experience in the cockpit of an aeroplane for his birthday. I think it was a large Boeing airliner and he took-off landed, flew round different parts of the world and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Steins at home are really good too. I have had a hake dish and chicken dish for special occasions. Glad to hear you are on the mend.

Paw was once given a butchery course at Borough Market in London- teaching him cooking/meat prep skills.
He loved it.
Also a baking day course at Bertinet in Hackney - again, it went down well as he loved his food and enjoyed knowing the theory and techniques.
SIL did a one-day wild life photography course which he enjoyed too.
Or if he enjoys his gin, a years membership of a craft gin club.

Get a really posh meal delivered by a restaurant who do such things.

Get him an item of clothing that he wouldn't treat himself to.

Get a pack of Gousto make at home meals so cooking something special for 3 mights

www.gousto.co.uk

If he likes a drink my son treats himself to boxes of specialist beers/lagers now and then delivered. ditto for wines.

I like the idea of giving him one of those "Experience" presents. for example I once gave a session on driving Ferrari cars. Love trains? a day out on a steam train. More here
www.redletterdays.co.uk/for-him

Get one of those newspapers that are from the day he was born.

I like the idea of a portrait from a photo. It could be just of him, or both of you, or a loved family member.

It's a fine balance Aveline.

Unless he thinks cookery lessons might be seen as a complaint about his noble efforts so far?

Cookery lessons sounds a great idea, Kitty. There may be someone locally who offer these. The males in our family have really enjoyed them. I do hope you are well on the road to recovery.

I'd quite like to buy him some cookery lessons but haven't found anything suitable.

He has coped really well considering he hadn't done much previously and I think he would like to have more confidence with the basics.

Maybe Kitty, when you’ve decided you could let us know. After Christmas of course.

I’m glad you’re starting to feel more like yourself.

Oooh, Ali, not for DH but a brilliant outing for my friend and I. Thank you.

Some brilliant ideas here, thank you.

Does he like to cook rather than having to cook? What's his favourite type of food? My uncle got a day learning how to cook proper curries with a well known Indian chef. I gave him a special day with Nick Nairn.

Are you anywhere near Sarsfields at Hickling? Very special menu if he is a chocolate lover. They aren't open every day of the week and you need to book in advance. ( leics person too, and not an advertiser, honest!)

Sorry to hear you have been so poorly. Here, it is the other way round. OH got Covid finally, and it has taken him 2 months to get over it slowly, and still not 100%.

I went to an antique Dealer the other day, and bought him a very large 18C map of the British Isles- and will get it framed.

I sent a photo of DH to a specialist firm and they turned it into a terrific picture on canvas. There were various choices eg a Warhol version, Lichtenstein or a graffiti one. I can't remember which I chose but it was very effective. Not too expensive either.

My husband likes getting food - nice. cheeses, crackers, chutneys, wine etc. How about a hamper of some sort if he is a foodie? During lockdown, our DD bought him a Rick Stein hamper for his birthday. He loved it.

Does he have any hobbies? Enjoy reading? We can't really expect to advise you when we don't know what he likes.

Or if you are well enough now to take him out for dinner, or cook him his favourite meal at home, or if I may make the suggestion, serve his dearly -beloved wife in French undies!

My DH would opt for the last named every time!

A couple of nights away at a Spa Hotel? There is a lovely one in Buxton called The Crescent.

How wonderful that he has been so kind and it’s lovely that you appreciate him so much, Kitty. Maybe a surprise voucher for afternoon tea for the two of you, either delivered to your house or in a posh hotel?

Don’t take this amiss, but is there any way you can arrange for him to have a couple of days away with a mate, doing something they enjoy.

It’s just so nice sometimes not to be the responsible one and I did feel sometimes that OH and I had overdosed on each other😬

But neither of you might feel like that, so just ignore me if thats inappropriate 💐