Small in size, small in price. But the Jones Movie Wall Clock packs a punch when it comes to a midcentury modern look.

There’s something very cool and quirky about these clocks, part of a larger range of affordable mantel and wall clocks by Jones Clocks. All are worth checking out, but the Movie Wall Clock is my personal favourite.

If you like to arrange things over a wall (as we do – and as these photos suggest), then this is perfect for doing that. A modest-sized, functional object with a splash of colour that will pop out of your wall.

And not just that. This is a battery-powered clock, so no ugly wires to deal with either. And if the colour doesn’t catch the eye, the display will. An atomic-style face with stylised numbers and hands, plus some other retro graphics, very much of the mid-20th century. Buy one, slip in the batteries, attach to the wall and let your visitors cast admiring glances at it.

Treat yourself to one or buy one for one of your retro-loving friends. This is firmly in affordable gift territory. 10 colours to choose from, and all selling for just £26.99 each. And if you have Prime, they’ll deliver one to you tomorrow for free as a nice bonus.

What’s not to like?

Find out more at the Amazon website

Also, check out the similar Pulsar wall clock from Jones, which is also available for £26.99 and available here.

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It’s fair to say I am eagerly awaiting the Blur For Tomorrow book: How Modern Life is Rubbish Reshaped British Music.

I know everyone is still excited that Oasis are playing tunes out and about again. But for me, Blur were a far more interesting proposition back in the day. And I still recall listening to Modern Life is Rubbish for the first time. It wasn’t exactly a commercial success, but it was a game changer for a number of reasons. It shaped Britpop, and it probably gave the Mod scene of the day a shot in the arm too.

Written by Nick Amies and with a foreword by Stephen Street, this 224-page book lands in January, so just too late for your Christmas list. What’s it about? Read on…

‘In the shadow of American grunge rock and recession at home, four young musicians made a daring creative leap that would redefine the sound and purpose of British music. For Tomorrow: How Blur’s Modern Life is Rubbish Reshaped British Music traces the journey of Blur as they stepped away from the Madchester haze of their debut, bravely embracing their Britishness at a moment when the nation was searching for identity and voice.

From abandoned recording sessions and fraught battles with their record label to the forging of an entirely new sound, Blur’s reinvention was both a critique of contemporary life and a celebration of England itself.

Through incisive storytelling, brand new interviews with personalities from the band’s inner circle, and deep archival research, this book tells how Modern Life is Rubbish emerged from crisis – painting suburban ennui, technological anxiety, and resistance to cultural Americanisation with both sharp wit and melodic brilliance.

Placing the album within its wider cultural and political context, it reveals how this slow-burning commercial underdog became the blueprint for Parklife, The Great Escape and an entire generation of British guitar bands.

Unfolding against the backdrop of early-90s Britain, the story explores the album’s eventual legacy: its role as the blueprint for Britpop, its critical reassessment, and its enduring influence on generations of musicians. This is the first full account of an era of Blur’s career where the band discovered their voice and, in doing so, helped a nation rediscover its sound.’

That’s what it is about – and if you have a love of Blur or the era of music, it’s likely to go on your wants list. Pre-orders for the hardback are now open, which sells for £25.

Find out more at the Amazon website

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The 1960s Stendig wall calendar returns for 2027, with a design unchanged since its introduction in 1966.

Why unchanged? Well, the original was pretty much perfection and as such, change just isn’t required. If you have the wall space and still believe that a traditional paper calendar is required in an age of mobile phone calendars and organisers, then this is definitely something that should be on your Christmas list. Or your shopping list.

The calendar was created by Massimo Vignelli for Charles Stendig in 1966 and has been available to buy ever since. That’s 60 years of calendar modernism. If anything, the Standing has never been so popular. It has also been recognised by the great and the good too. This is the only calendar hanging in New York’s MoMA. Quite an accolade.

The modern design lover’s calendar of choice, it is made up of tear-off sheets of 160 gsm paper and printed in the iconic typeface Helvetica.

The months randomly alternate black and white and the top binding strip has three black eyelets for easy level hanging. What to do with the paper once it has been ripped off? Don’t throw it away. It also doubles up as pretty hip wrapping paper for your more design-savvy friends.

It sells out every year so if you think you’ll want one this year I recommend buying now to avoid any post-Christmas disappointment, You can secure one for £75.

Find out more at the Stendig Calendars website

Note that this was spotted in the 50 affordable gift ideas for architecture lovers round-up on Wowhaus, which is well worth a few minutes browsing time. Not least because there are plenty of retro designs within it.

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It doesn’t come cheap, but this 1970s Grundig Aphelion circular TV for sale on eBay is incredibly rare if you have always wanted one.

Let’s talk about the circular TV. Perhaps the most desirable of all vintage space-age designs for the home. Made in small numbers, few survive, and even fewer actually work. This one, according to the seller, ticks all the boxes.

Details on the listing are scarce, but you can do a bit of detective work around the subject. The Aphelion television was never cheap, with each one designed and hand-built in the UK by Stephen Foster in the early 1970s. Only around 200 were ever produced originally, the majority of which were white, but there are much rarer models in bolder colours.

The fibreglass shells were built around existing TVs, mainly Telefunken models, but a small number (around 15 per cent) were Grundig, with around 5 per cent being Philips. The model here is branded Grundig Super Color.

You need to fully examine the images yourself, but the condition looks impressive for its age, although it is ‘sold as seen’. It’s also listed as a working model, with videos available of it functioning. But note that these will likely be analogue, so won’t work via your TV aerial. There are workarounds for playing and streaming from other sources – have a Google of that if you have a bit of time.

And note that you have to be careful turning these on after a delay, as the parts can be quite fragile or prone to overheating. In other words, maybe get it checked out by an expert first.

Or just enjoy having an icon of the 1970s in your home. If you are going all in on the 1970s. There is nothing quite like a circular/round TV when it comes to being a focal point for a retro home. But you’ll have to pay big – and there’s likely a shipping cost involved too.

The one for sale here is up for just over £3,000 – but you can also make an offer if you want to go in lower. By the way, when I first started doing this site all those years ago, I spotted one on eBay back then…for £200. If only we’d known.

Find out more at the eBay website

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Lesser-seen, and all the better for it, the Adidas Tobacco Super is the ultimate autumnal trainer.

In fact, I’d go as far as saying the entire Tobacco range is lesser-seen. And probably the most underrated design in the entire Adidas Originals range. A familiar look, but not as saturated as the Gazelle, Samba or Spezial, to name just a few.

In fact, the Tobacco isn’t even a sports shoe officially. Adidas launched the range as a leisure shoe, the first time Adidas had moved into that sector. So a piece of history on your feet.

That was back in 1972 when the original Tobacco landed with a design not dissimilar to the traditional Adidas sports shoe. The name? That was because of its earthy brown, beige, and terracotta colourways that evoked dried tobacco leaves. That’s often the case with the reissues too.

But the Adidas Tobacco Super kicks things on further. A later design that reworked the concept, it sits more firmly in the ‘leisure shoe’ sector and has a more substantial structure that’s perfect for the time of year. But it is still classic Adidas.

The autumnal deep red (actually called Fox Brown) is my personal favourite (there are more shades available), with the dots for stripes akin to the classic Adidas Stan Smith, a luxury leather upper, subtle branding to the tongue and side and a chunkier gum sole to keep you nice and dry from the odd puddle.

It’s just a great-looking and practical shoe for now. Most sizes available and it’s priced at £100. Do check out the other variations as well.

Find out more at the Size? website

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Bringing back memories of car journeys as a small child is this Revival Flask by Thermos. And I’m all for it.

Do you still use a flask? Not sure I do a lot. I take a heated cup pretty much everywhere with a hot drink inside, and I think those have probably taken over from the classic thermos flask in recent years.

But if you want a couple of drinks or want to share your coffee (other hot drinks are available), then the flask is still a useful bit of kit. Whether that’s for a drink with a picnic or an emergency should you get stuck somewhere in the car. The classic flask can still earn its keep. And never more so right now, as temperatures plummet.

And if you are going to buy one, why not something unashamedly retro? Yes, like the one you might recall from days gone by. The classic ‘tartan’ flash by thermos. They were all tartan, weren’t they?

What you have here is a replica of one of the original Thermos flask designs, known officially as the Model 18 and in production for years. I have no idea when it came out, but I suspect it as far back as the 1950s. Maybe even longer.

So the original pattern and colourways, this is a 500ml retro flask with a five-year guarantee, able to keep a drink hot for 18 hours and something cold for 24 hours. Cup on the top, naturally.

Picnics, festivals, a drive out, allotments, something warm on a cold day – you name it, this is an ideal companion. £30 each in all colours.

Find out more at the Amazon website

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