Today’s queues may be digital, but the fight to secure that must-have present and avoid small, disappointed faces is timeless. Tom Howells looks at the toys topping recent (and less recent) Christmas wish lists

Instructions for Santa’s elves in 2025: we want small plush toys with round fluffy bodies, gruesome grins and spiky teeth, rabbit ears, large wholesome eyes and keychains to hang on our bags. We want

LET COUNSELLOR KEREN LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD

A furry hot-water bottle? Or a restless snoring pest? Sharing a bed with a dog isn’t ideal for everyone, but it certainly warms the soul, says Bethany Stone

Let’s start with the numbers. There are about 13.5 million tame wolves (we call them pet dogs), 12.5 million cats, one million rabbits, 700,000 tortoises and turtles, 700,000 guinea pigs, 600,000 hams

NOELLE ignored the knock the first time she had heard it, believing it to be a branch from the buddleia bush, beside the door, brushing the window. It was a foul December night. The snow threatening a