The Storm Kettle is an astonishingly efficient & ecologically acceptable means of making a pot of tea. Invented in Ireland around a hundred years ago, it has given faithful service in situations as diverse as the Somme trenches, countless sporting riverbanks & moors, remote beaches, camp-sites, mountains, jungles, barbecues, & even recently, Bosnia. It is made entirely of aluminium & stands 38cm tall. The water (1.5 litres or just under 3 pints) goes NOT in the centre of the kettle, but inside its hollow walls. A few twigs or pieces of dried grass are placed in the base, the hole is turned towards the wind & the thing is lit. The funnelling effect concentrates the heat against the inside walls of the kettle, & within just a few minutes the water is boiling. If in the meanwhile more fuel is needed, it is simply dropped in through the top. It comes boxed with full instructions. ...

Even the title fails to prepare you for just how extraordinary some of the featured pubs are. The Crooked House Pub has subsided 4', so now the drinks slide slowly uphill, whilst in one pub in Somerset your beer will stick to the wall completely unsupported. Toe wrestling, snail-racing & skittles played with cheese are all available if you know where to go. So are human skulls, ghosts, bees, trees & a host of other oddities & eccentricities which can be marvelled at while you enjoy a swift pint or three; but you may have to leave one shoe with the barmaid as a deposit on the glass. Completely fascinating! Can you think of anyone who wouldn't like this (15x 21)cm book? ...

The strength ball is a popular favourite, & this model has LEDs inside which only work when it rotates at speed. For the benefit of those who have not seen it before, the strength ball uses gyroscopic force to encourage muscle building exercise. The rip cord is inserted & pulled to start the central weight spinning, after that it is up to the individual to rotate it faster & faster. RPM is recorded on the digital counter enabling a competitive element between friends. There is a knack to it but definite benefit can be felt after just a few goes & it is extremely addictive. ...

Highly pliable rubbery-creatures with a sucker on each limb. Amusing poses are made by stretching them to many times their original length & then sticking them in position. Double sided suckers allow them to stick to windows, mirrors, fridges & other smooth surfaces. ...

You could lose hours absorbed in this book! Styled rather like the revision books of school years, this is stuffed with loads of the questions that might have taken moments to answer when you were wearing short trousers or pigtails (or both), but now require a little more effort. Divided up into academic subjects, with a mixture of multiple choice, picture-based & direct from memory answers, this is a sure test for any ex-pupil. You'll probably discover, as we did, the answers section is spied embarrassingly often. Just don't leave this lying around or that know-it-all twelve year old will polish it off in an hour! Fantastic practice for your next pub quiz. ...

Anyone with a need for speed will enjoy this motorbike & power launcher. It works on the principle of a giant spring mechanism on which the motorbike is located. It is drawn back against the spring, clipped in place & then lined up carefully to achieve maximum distance when the clip is released. A slight amount of lean can make a huge difference to the outcome as it will veer off to the side, leading to spectacular crashes! ...