Looking for ways to while away those long winter evenings? Don't bother with TV. Sample one of the lesser-known phenomena of recent recreational publishing: the flourishing market in Tolkien games.
Suitable for all ages, based on one of the great moral fables of our time and generally beautifully crafted, they are prime candidates for any extra pocket money you may have accumulated in your Christmas stocking.
Many of them come from Germany, where families will often set up a board game at the point in the evening when many UK families will reach for the TV remote. It's our loss. German games are the industry leaders at present, with titles like Carcassonne and Settlers of Catan becoming rivals of Monopoly and the like (and far better than Monopoly in every way).
