Its light blue plastic cover flips up to reveal a digital display; inside the lid is a tiny plastic three-dimensional doll, jointed at the waist, posed against a jungle background. The favourite feature, though, was a panel of heat- sensitive gel on the lid. “The turning bezel for divers and the water resistance seemed to me like neat ideas, but they pointed out that the bezel was the only part of the watch with numbers – and besides, how many children reach 100m below sea level?”**POLLY POCKETpounds 4.76″More of a toy than a watch” was the general verdict on this, part of the vast range of Polly Pocket playthings and accessories. Her brother Laurence thought it “small and babyish, only brilliant if you really love Superman”, and it left Beth Jones cold. Teacher Tony Fuller, by contrast, thought it was “pretty cool” and imagined his class would too. Though solidly constructed and fun, its main drawback was that it had no marks or numerals, making it very impractical. The youngest children couldn’t even begin to tell the time with it, and the rotating bezel (which did have numbers, marked in hours) made them even more confused.Rebecca Jones and and Camilla Hipwood complained that this was “a boy’s watch”; Rosie Purvis was a little more positive, declaring its no nonsense rubber strap “nice and curly-wurly”.

Teacher Tony Fuller recruited form 6BS at Thomas’s London Day School (11-year-olds) to discuss the watches.THE TESTEach group of testers considered whether the watches would be useful in helping beginners tell the time; whether their novelty features were superfluous or a bonus; whether the watches were fun; and whether they represented good value for money.*SUPERMANpounds 16This is a water-resistant watch of classic shape and size, made from blue and red plastic with a rotating bezel (or outer dial, like a diver’s) and the Superman logo prominent on the face. Many of the adults loved the fun ones, with their flashing, illuminated faces, kitsch features and crazy lettering. Some younger testers showed an unexpected degree of seriousness, preferring simpler, more utilitarian watches that helped them make that all-important childhood breakthrough – understanding the mystery of “to” and “past” and learning how to tell the time unaided.
THE PANELOur family testers were Rebecca Jones and her friend Camilla Hip-wood (both 6); Laurence and Rosie Purvis (7 and 6); Beth Jones (6), no relation; and Alexander Nicholas (8). If it was laden with over-the-top features and bore a conspicuous Disney logo or the name of a character from children’s TV, they would want it; more sober timepieces would simply bore them.

The results of our survey were by no means that clear-cut. We asked our large panel of schoolchildren, parents and a teacher to weigh up the merits of six watches considered suitable for children. Parents and teachers would opt for something practical, a serious timepiece that really taught six- to 11-year-olds how to tell the time. Children, by contrast, would enthuse about anything that resembled a toy.

WHEN our panel set out to test children’s first watches, we thought we knew what to expect. To lighten the Christmas pudding, Asti Fontanafredda (pounds .99 Majestic) is a fine example of that unjustly scorned fizz that for me sets the seal on the perfect British Christmas lunch.! Kathryn McWhirter is co-author with Charles Metcalfe of Sainsbury’s Pocket Food & Wine Guide (pounds 2.95). And sage clashes with Shiraz, so you might choose a soft, fruity Merlot for sage-laced (or chestnut) stuffings, such as the easy-drinking 1994 Concha y Toro Merlot, Rapel (pounds 3.99 Waitrose).With a smoked salmon starter try a subtle California Chardonnay – 1993 Flora Springs Carneros Chardonnay (pounds l2.99 Oddbins) is just right. A little cheaper, 1992 Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz (pounds 6.99 Asda, selected Tesco, Co-op, EH Booth, Oddbins, selected Somerfield and Majestic, Thresher, Wine Rack, Bottoms Up) is nearly as good. Turkey can stand up to richer wine flavours than chicken, and not-too-tannic reds tend to go better than whites, especially when you take the stuffings into account But the Chablis above goes quite well Like horseradish, cranberry sauce is bad news for wines. White wine drinkers might try the mouth-filling and tangy 1994 Chablis Saint Martin, Domaine Laroche (pounds 8.49 Majestic) or, for a strongly oak-smoked ham, the delicious, oaked white 1990 Marques de Cceres Rioja Blanco Crianza (pounds 4.99 selected Sainsbury’s and Oddbins).If your Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a turkey, the wine for you is Australian Shiraz.

The great Shiraz bargain this Christmas is the wonderful, intensely flavoured 1992 E & E Black Pepper Shiraz (pounds l0.95 Co-op). Two of the best this Christmas are 1993 Morgon les Charmes, Domaine Brisson (pounds 6.79 Co-op) and 1994 Morgon, Jean Descombes (pounds 6.99 Thresher, Wine Rack, Bottoms Up). Horseradish, incidentally, is a wine killer, guaranteed to make your pounds 7 wine taste like pounds l.99.Beaujolais is also a brilliant partner for the Christmas ham, smoked or unsmoked. But it doesn’t for me, and I’d avoid tough, high- tannin reds however the beef is cooked. Gamay, the Beaujolais grape, is a star, especially from named villages such as Fleurie, Brouilly or Saint- Amour. For grouse, pheasant or mallard, try the thickly raspberry- fruity 1993 Crozes Hermitage, Alain Graillot (pounds 8.49 Majestic), or the softer, smooth 1995 Concha y Toro Syrah, unfiltered (pounds 4.99 Oddbins).Our freezer is already bulging with a huge rib of organic beef for Boxing Day. But though “beefy”, in the sense of big and robust, may apply to the living beast, the meat is easily overwhelmed Some wine gurus believe rare meat tames tannin.