Stocking for 86 year old man

[user1374384]

I have befriended an old man who lives close by, and we (the kids and I) stop and chat to him at least once a week for the last year or 2. He has got us all birthday cards and the odd small gift (puts a bar of chocolate through the letter box etc) he is wanting to buy my kids shoes this Christmas after he had a betting win on horses with their names. He is so sweet, and I've never had a grandfather so I suppose he is a substitute for us. I was thinking a stocking might be a good idea for a Christmas present. He has a December birthday too. I only know he enjoys betting on horses, and he is a very routined, likes very simple old fashioned food. Very healthy for his age, he goes for a very early walk each morning for groceries and to place a bet or in buses to visit the cemetery twice a week. So I was thinking lottery tickets or scratch cards would probably go down well, maybe socks, chocolate, biscuits, any other ideas? I really don't know much at all about very old men!

Teabags? Cheese? Crackers? A voucher to have dinner at your house one night?

Toffees? Mints? Whisky? (All things loved by my grandad!)

gloves, a scarf?

A flannel and a nice tinned soap?

Favourite sweets and biscuits - or crisps or pork scratchings
booze minatures
scratch cards
playing cards
a mini "travel" magnetic board game - chess, ludo, trivia etc
socks
paperback book

Not to forget the compulsory (for his generation) satsumas and nuts in shells

Key ring torch? I bought some good ones recommended here but can’t find them now.
I know someone similar and we often buy him M&S jams.

Nice biscuits or cake
dates,
a non fiction book, eg vintage cars, aeroplanes, gardening
Warm socks
handkerchief (monogrammed?)
Tin of sweets

A regular Christmas item for the racing fan in our family is this

diary.

What about something personal from your children. Maybe a calendar with pictures they’ve drawn or a mug they have painted for him?

My Granda loved this it helped all his aches and pains. He also enjoyed puzzle books and jigsaws

Gloves? Puzzle books as a PP poster said.

It's such a thoughtful thing of you to do. He sounds really kind and I'm sure he'll love whatever you get him

Bird feeder for his garden.
Peaches in Brandy [£6 in M&S]

Wow, thanks so much, some really fab suggestions. I think I'll get the slightly bigger version of that racing diary for his birthday @stopgocar.

He lived in Scotland for many years but gave up his house there a few years ago so he could come and look after his sister when she was dying, so I was thinking some Scottish tablet, can anyone tell me if there are any other Scottish sweets or foods?

*that would work well in a stocking. Obviously there are other Scottish foods!

Not Scottish I know but my grandfather always loved liquorice allsorts, so had some n his stocking every year.

Tablet is great. I did my dad’s stocking a couple of years ago and managed to find a tin of those old fashioned ‘car sweets’, like hard boiled with a powdered sugar dusting all over.

I would take him for tea and cake.......in my experience youre time is the best gift you can give.

Scottish shortbread
Scotch whisky mini

What a lovely idea.

My grandparents are similar ages, and one thing they don't really want now is 'stuff'. They say they have everyone they need, and everything else is extra clutter. ie my nana gets a scarf each year, she already had about 15, so many are regifted to charity.

So I would say consumables with are used up. Lottery ticket and scratch card, satsuma, some traditional pick a mix type sweets, homemade card from children, shortbread

Maybe invite him over one afternoon leading up to christmas for some tea/ mince pie with the children.

Tunnocks tea cakes!

Have the kids make him something. I bet he'd be touched.

Does he have a DVD player? What about old comedy DVDs like Only Fools and Horses/Fawlty Towers and the like. Probably very cheap off ebay

Racing diary! My dad loves the horses, and we always get him one. I have never looked in it so don’t know exactly what it is - I think it’s a diary which also has details of all the horse racing meetings that year? It may have other stuff? My dad loves his, anyway. I just googled it and there are loads on eBay.
Also nice pen, chocolate or sweets, alcohol miniature/tea/coffee.....
My great uncle used to LOVE a torch. We would get him one every year.
Does he have a car? Dad used to love a chami leather.
Is he into gardening? My bloke isn’t quite as old as this one, but getting on a bit, and he’d love a packet of vegetable seeds or two for his allotment or the garden..... Maybe unusual vegetables he doesn’t usually grow.....

Lovely of you to do this, by the way.

Just looked properly at the Scottish reference, sorry. You can get really posh little packs of Scottish oat cakes at nice delis......