Birthdays

GrammyGrammy Your suggestion re the Donkey Sanctuary chimed with me. We had a lovely visit there.

The only "experience" we have booked was for a hot air balloon trip. We travelled all the way to Kent and stayed at a hotel, only to be told the next day that the weather wasn't suitable. Such a let down.

We used them a lot. A meal at the Hilton on London worked out cheaper with the voucher than if we'd just rocked up and asked for a table.
One bad experience long time ago now. It was go carting for hubs and son in law. The suits they had to wear had broken zips and after one race (you have a few) some chap was slumped over in the cart. There were no first aiders as such, just 2 teenagers who were on charge, so other drivers had to try to get him free and take off his helmet. I believe the poor chap actually died. The ambulance was called but it was a pretty horrible experience obviously for his poor family and we didn't
like it either.

annodomini

My family asked what I would like for my 80th birthday and I asked for a flying lesson. They gave it to me several years early, and I just loved it. Wish I'd done it when I was young enough to get a pilot's licence. I blame all those Biggles books I devoured as a child! Another time I had a balloon flight. I'm over 80 now and still don't see age as a barrier. The other night, I had a dream that I was dancing at my 88th birthday party.

wonderful..

My family asked what I would like for my 80th birthday and I asked for a flying lesson. They gave it to me several years early, and I just loved it. Wish I'd done it when I was young enough to get a pilot's licence. I blame all those Biggles books I devoured as a child! Another time I had a balloon flight. I'm over 80 now and still don't see age as a barrier. The other night, I had a dream that I was dancing at my 88th birthday party.

But it's not just about knowing them.
If you have busy lives the challenge is matching up dates with availability and the time invested in the planning. So many people want to do things last minute now I think.

My son (the one that failed to book the super-car experience ) has subsequently booked more driving and other "adventures" himself - but he's just booked online/with the company when he fancied it. He has booked directly a few days ahead or even, in the case of a whale-spotting trip, on the day itself.

Three or four years ago his fiancée booked a circus day and loved it and said how she'd like to do it again (she sent me photos and videos) so I bought her another (flexible) day or series of lessons for her birthday (directly with the company) as the venue was only a short drive away. I honestly don't think it was ever used.

This year I sent cash to my son for her birthday and soon got photos of her twirling about in her new coat!
I think I won't be trying any experiences as gifts for people in future.

On the other hand, one daughter loves a gift of annual parking at her local nature reserves and we do that for her each year. You could argue that it's an experience as she goes there to walk.

It's a great idea. But either you know them so well and know what they would absolutely love, or best to ask them what they would like?

I was once bought a Komodo dragon feeding experience- amazing present!!

I have a DD who turns 50 this year . I have got her and her DH tickets for ladies day at the Grand National next month . They have been before and really enjoyed it . I know you are further south but a lot of the race courses have special days over the next few months . You don’t even have to bet in order to enjoy the races .

Experience days are good and if you buy one they don't like it can normally be exchanged for a different one (for a fee!). I also contacted a hotel myself and arranged an afternoon tea for two for my stepmothers birthday. I also arrange for flowers to be delivered to her from a florist local to her - so easy to just give credit card details to pay for something with a business that might be hundreds of miles away.

I've been bought experiences for landmark birthdays, eg a champagne afternoon tea for two, a long weekend with champagne and dinner in a lovely country hotel, and a wine tasting in an English vineyard with afternoon tea. All for two and thoroughly enjoyed .I bought my son and daughter in law a meal followed by the cinema . I looked after the children for the night. They loved it. Not all experiences are daredevil ones. You can get cookery classes , all sorts of things now. They are worthwhile if you get the right experience for the right person .Or you could make up your own . National Trust membership is expensive and involves travelling and not everyone is keen on going round houses or gardens . You also need to buy their partners membership too so they can have a companion.

I'd definitely recommend not getting balloon rides. Gave both daughters rides for them and their partners, but cancellation after cancellation due to poor weather conditions finally resulted in their actually getting into the basket only for one now son-in-law to nearly lose a finger as the rope caught his hand in a gust of wind and then the whole trip cancelled yet again. Never happened. Still, I expect a certain person could buy a few more palm trees for his island...

Theatre tokens in general might be better than ATG tokens - they are valid in far more venues and don't have end dates (according to the site). I had some generated from a cashback site (over £200 worth) which came in handy as my friend and myself enjoy going to our local theatre. Sometimes you can book online with them or have to ring the theatre (I had to do the second). My sister has given me several spa/lunch or spa/afternoon tea vouchers which have been welcomed and used, for my 60th birthday she gave me a years membership to the National Botanic Garden of Wales which I thoroughly enjoyed using - when it expired I renewed it myself . It also gives entry to several other Gardens - unfortunately I haven't been to them as they are too far away, will have to arrange a holiday near them .

What about a gift token for a stay in a nice country hotel.

Really good suggestions up thread.

I bought my D and SiL hotel vouchers for Christmas because I knew they were keen to visit a particular city for a short break. They are valid for a year and the value can be topped up by the recipients to enable them to book as many nights as they want.
And it wasn't for a an expensive hotel, just a bog standard city hotel chain.
Theatre or cinema vouchers are also good as it allows the recipients an element of choice. Cinema vouchers can also continue to be used until the value is used up.
Or, if they have a holiday booked, how about a prepaid currency card? You can buy them from the post office and load it with whatever amount you choose.

I got DH an on line cheese tasting. Can't tell you what it is like until after Friday!!

We will get 5 cheeses "enough for your household" and a lack of crackers. They should arrive tomorrow and the on Friday there's an hour on zoom where the maker talks about cheeses and does a guided tasting.

I actually booked the tasting but they Ksondo gift cards as well.

I bought GD a horse riding lesson but even though I offered to take her she didn't use it.
We were bought a wine tasting and vineyard visit experience, but couldn't fit it in within the limited time .
If you buy an experience do check the time limit as some have a very short life

My youngest bought her eldest a gift to partner a pilot in the cockpit as she was talking about wanting to work in aeroplanes
She never used it to this day that was 3 years ago

I got one of AC a paint balling experience day for up to 10- he never used it i dont think he thought it was an actual day out- or an actual gift that i had in fact paid for🙄🤨

I'm in agreement with everyone who's said to make sure whatever you do is something the recipient will want to do.
My birthday is next week and with Mother's Day this weekend, my son always tries to buy me separate gifts, except this year.
This year he's told me that he's got me a ticket for a show (as a gift for both my celebrations) next Wednesday, which sounds lovely except that this is a show that HE wants to see, and is off absolutely no interest to me. He also said that he'd got a ticket for his partner (who also has no interest in this show).
I was also informed that none of my clothing is suitable for a trip to the theatre so I'd need to buy a new outfit.
I've spent ages and money I could do without spending, trying to find something HE would consider 'suitable', and I've now given up and told him that I really don't want to go and he should try to get a refund on my ticket.
He's now not talking to me because he thinks I should just stuck it up and get on with it but I believe that a 'gift' should be something the recipient wants or would enjoy, not something done for the benefit of the giver.

I’ve been both the giver and receiver of experience days and you need to find an experience that the receiver would like , not the giver . I love a spa/ pamper day , afternoon tea . My dh is a petrol head and lives anything with an engine . He’s done driving experiences , including driving an articulated lorry and loved them . A hot air balloon trip was amazing . I’d suggest thinking outside the box and have a day out or lovely lunch . Or if the experience is not local a night away in a hotel.
As for expiry dates , you can extend them , you may have to pay to extend but at least the experience doesn’t get wasted .

For my 70th birthday my children asked what I wanted. I said I'd like to ride on a motorcycle - I didn't say, but I hoped for a Harley-Davidson. What I actually got was a lesson on a 45ft HGV which was absolutely wonderful. (I think I missed my vocation) My DGD was allowed in the passenger seat, and must have seen how much I enjoyed it, so at age 10, some 2 years later, she has had a junior driving experience and enjoyed that just as much by the expression on her face!! So, warning: one experience can lead to another.......

PS. I was surprised by the number of grey-haired ladies of my generation who were also queuing for their turn. I think we were catching up, having lived through an era when certain jobs were for men

We’ve had experience gifts - with the same mixed results as others have shared. It is shame & a waste when the gift can’t be used. DH was given one for a racing car day but reading the small print put him off (something about liability if damage occurred so insurance advised, raising the cost to him). Last year he had a train trip voucher which was great but in order to use it incurred extra costs due to distance & timing.
We give GC small personal gifts at Christmas but also money for ‘family fun’ to their parents so they can enjoy doing something they want together, bowling/day out/extra treats on holiday.
I’d rather be asked what I’d like - I don’t need anymore ornaments 🙄🤣

I think this would make a pleasant change for them, as long as you are sure that you know the kind of things they like doing together, and that whatever you give them is not too tightly bound down to a specific period.

We were given a weekend away at a hotel, which we were unable to use, due to pressure of work, before the offer expired

If you can avoid this pitfall, go ahead with your plan by all means.

An experience is a lovely gift, been given many as gifts and have also bought some. Virgin and red letter do good ones. Been gifted a trip up the Shard, climbing over the O2 day at the races, meal at a mitchelin restaurant

One of our DDs bought us a Red Letter experience the Christmas before last. It has been impossible to use it. First the venue had no availability until after THIS Christmas. When we contacted them in January they said they were no longer doing the experience and we needed to contact Red Letter. However, it is impossible to contact them as they don’t answer their phone and emails come back saying the facility is no longer available. I certainly would never buy anything from them.