James Haddrell speaks on the gift of a ‘shared experience’

One of the headlines that inevitably appears in the lead-up to Christmas, year after year, is the failure of supply chains to meet demand for that year’s particular must-have toy.

Over the years, in scenes worthy of a festive comedy, fights have reportedly broken out in the aisles over Cabbage Patch dolls, Furbies and the latest Xboxes and PlayStations, with sales being made on the black market at hugely inflated prices by those quick enough to have snapped up that year’s hottest item.

However, while the same situation is being predicted this year (according to The Strategist magazine, Paw Patrol toys, Harry Potter Lego and PlayStation all feature on the list of toys likely to hit supply issues this Christmas) the predicted scenes of empty shelves in the shops feels very different.

As we approach what we all hope is the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have all lived through two years that have seen supermarket shelves empty, queues for basic everyday items, a national shortage of petrol and a return to rationing by some retailers.

It puts the battle to be among the chosen few able to snap up a Lego set or a games console in a whole new light.

This year, it seems to me, there is a much more valuable gift that should top everyone’s list, whether giving or receiving, and that is the gift of shared experience.

That might mean going to a theatre, a cinema or a music gig, having dinner in a restaurant with family or friends, sharing a trip to an ice- rink, art gallery or museum – or even just gifting your time to meet up with other people in the park.

We have been through a period of time when the shared experiences that we take for granted have been inaccessible, when the companies providing them have been put under astonishing financial pressure and those who enjoy them have been prevented from taking part.

Five years ago, it would have been unthinkable to most people that we could be restricted to our homes (with the exception of a daily walk) for weeks on end, that we might have had to think twice about going out in the car in case we ran out of petrol, that we might not have been able to buy the essential food from the supermarket that we’re all used to, but all of those things have happened.

Now, at a time when we all turn our attention to giving, we have an opportunity to give back those opportunities, to share time with other people in real life and to support the organisations that are built around making those opportunities possible.

Then, when it comes to January and new year resolutions, maybe 2022 should be the international year of not taking things for granted.

I have been as guilty of that as anyone else, but with world leading arts and culture, food, sport and entertainment right on our collective doorsteps, next year should be all about enjoying it and remembering that it might not always be there.