Rats and Squealers: Moles, Grasses and Whistleblowers Dishing the Dirt is a book that I really wished I hadn't wasted the pound on never mind bothering to read it. It is definitely in my top ten of rubbish books. It failed to deliver any information of any consequence and frequently relied upon regurgitating facts from centuries ago that bear little resemblance to the front cover of the book.

I bought the Le Creuset Silicone Multimat, in Cerise, in 2008 and it has been put through its paces over the past few years and saved many a surface from damage. In most recent times it is used daily, for my bialetti - straight from the hob top onto the mat and for hot pans in the evening. It and never melted, degenerated or lost its colour. It is also used to lift hot pan lids and to stop my pastry board from sliding across the worktop.

I bought the Russell Hobbs stainless steel 3kw kettle in 2008, and 3 years later it is still going strong, which has to be a first for our household. The Dual Illumination acts as a useful reminder as to whether we have left the kettle on at the mains - it registers as blue as in the photograph of the product online. When it is switched on it turns to red. When not on at the mains it has no colour at all.

The 3kw of power means it boils in no time at all. The Stainless Steel is easy to clean and looks smart. The handle never gets hot and is easy to grip. The black lid flips up for easy filling.

Adidas Women's Adistar Runner sleek white/Diva trainers arrived promptly. They were exactly as they looked online and were on at half price which was great. They were bought for a student for P.E and as her feet have remained at a size 6UK for the past 3 years she is still using them. Needless to say we have found them very hardwearing and they are easy to care for. They do not mark the gym floors so the school had no objection to them.

Brabantia Ironing Board - Raindrops. This ironing board comes with a silicone mat to rest your iron on - but as I have an iron that has its own rest I use the mat in the kitchen where it is very useful to rest hot pans on. The ironing board is easy to put up and put down but it is fairly heavy. I like the fact that it is extra wide as this means I can fit more of a sheet, or duvet cover on it so less manoevering of the cloth takes less time to iron.

I bought this for £60 in 2008. I thought of it as an investment piece compared to other boards I had had, that wobbled when used or dropped to bits, and at that time there were few large width and length ironing boards available in the shops.

Vista 70 x 108 black table cloth is hard wearing and easy to care for. It has been washed numerous times over the past 3 years, (bought in 2008), and is still going strong. No colour fade and does not crease so I never have to iron it which is a great bonus.

Silver Gents Solid Figaro 20" Chain is, as it says, solid. The links and fastener are very smooth so will not snag clothes or hair and the weight is substantial for a man's neck. It looks heavy enough to be 'manly' without looking like 'bling'. Very pleased with the quality.

Tefal Pancake Day Frying Pan is non- stick and has a hot-spot marker in the center, which changes colour on the pan being hot enough to fry. Comes with a plastic spatula - that is fairly rigid. I've found this a good size for both pancakes and omelettes and so far they have not stuck. I have only given this 3 stars because I think that the finish does not look hard-wearing and I am not sure how long it will remain non-stick.

The Phantom of The Opera Deluxe Box Set (DVD) I bought this as a birthday present for a friend who is crazy about The Phantom of The Opera. She has been to see the live performance and has a CD with the music but this set as well as being able to see Phantom performed has the added bonus of two documentaries which she thought were great.

I had it delivered straight from Amazon to her as a gift so she had the invoice, minus the price, and would be able to return it if she wished with the added bonus that I did not have to worry about the postman getting it there on time.

A di Alessi Pots & Pans Saucepan, Stainless Steel 20cm (8") I love the A di Alessi pans. They perform great, clean up easily and well, (even baked on food)and look way too good to go away in the cupboard.

The inside of the pan is calibrated which I find useful for filling with water straight from the tap instead of having to use a jug as well.

I think the Alessi pans are a good investment as they can be used on any heat source so if we change our oven, they can still be used.