British pressies to bring back home

My husband and I have been living back in the UK for just over a year now and I'm going home next month to see my kids and grandkids. Really excited. My grandsons are 12 and 10.

I'm trying to come up with some little (a) affordable, (b) lightweight (for baggage purposes), and (c) interesting things to bring back for family/friends.

For example, I know that I'm going to bring a newspaper back for my best friend's husband. Knowing him, he'll love something like that.

And for a girlfriend who is an RN, I'm going to bring her The Four Nurses CD.

One of the little things I'll be bringing back for my grandsons are those rubber wristbands that say '2012 London Olympics'.

Would love it if we could start a list of ideas/suggestions just to get the juices flowing. Some of your answers may also be based upon things you've brought back home before that really went over well.

So fire away everyone! And thank you.

Football or rugby shirts from Lillywhites or Sportsdirect are very reasonable. It might be last season's stuff but they won't know that.

I always take back fridge magnets.. either from places I visited or funny ones.  One of the last ones I took back to my Mom was of a Braveheart type.. sexy hairy leg with a kilt hiked up half way.. One of my Mom's friends saw it hanging on the fridge and asked her if that's how she wanted her legs to look.  My mom said-- err yes.. except that's a guy! 

I always try to take back a variety of different chocolates and biscuits that we don't have in the States too.  Just so everyone can try some of the different things.  They always go over well.  Found out last time that you don't need to check those off on the customs sheet.. they get quite annoyed if they have to check your bags only to see that the food you have told them about is tea biscuits and Cadbury choccies.  That show, Nothing to Declare, has me paranoid about declaring things.

We stay with friends when we visit....I usually take a couple of bottles of beer from a local brewery for the bloke and DW finds little odds and ends. This year she has a souvenir newspaper fot the royal wedding as her friend visited earlier in the year and we went to Westminster Abbey a month or so before the wedding.

I try to bring back regional things, stuff they cant find back home. Since I live in Sheffield, I bring back some Hendersons Relish (apparently in York its known as 'Yorkshire Sauce') as its made here and owned by a local family. Local football amd rugby kits as well...

Ive gotten my mother hooked on Hendos. She refuses to use Lea & Perrins now!

I bring a whole range of things-

Sweeties and biscuits like Jelly Babies/wine gums/rowntree randoms/kinder eggs/kinder hippos/penguin bars/jaffa cakes (BOAK!!  - but people like 'em at home)/etc

Rare in the USA whisky (i.e. things that you can get only at the distillary, rare editions, etc- but I like to spend spend a lot of time at distillaries)

Usually will get something like Harrod's tea when I'm at Heathrow

Scottish things that are cheesy like stuffed loch ness monsters, haggis shaped/named things, tartan anything, bagpipes, highland cows, etc

I brought home British Monopoly last Christmas and that was great!  So things like Snakes and Ladders, Ludo, Cluedo, etc British versions of games, that's fun.

I also like books with British spellings or only in the UK books or fun things like the Broon's, Gaelic books, etc

I like to get my Dad things like Jeremy Clarkson/James May books and things like that- A few years ago I got him the entire Long Way Round/Long Way Down/Road to Decaur series with Ewan Macgreggor/Charley Boreman and he thought that was brilliant

Happy Shopping 

One of those giant Cadbury dairy milk bars. They are 5kg. My boyfriend brought one over for my parents the first time he came to see me in the states and they've asked for one each time now!!!!! They are a little annoying to carry around but i think you can get them at Heathrow year round. I got one at Tesco around fathers day but I think they only had it for special occasions.

I bring a whole range of things-Sweeties and biscuits like Jelly Babies/wine gums/rowntree randoms/kinder eggs/kinder hippos/penguin bars/jaffa cakes (BOAK!!  - but people like 'em at home)/etc

What a great list!

Can you get past customs with kinder eggs? I've always heard they were not allowed within the U.S. ... or is that an urban legend?

What a great list!

Can you get past customs with kinder eggs? I've always heard they were not allowed within the U.S. ... or is that an urban legend?

Yes. I think the issue is that there has been issues in the past with them being sold in the US because of the small parts/choking risk.

Just did a random search, and I guess you aren't allowed to bring them to the states:

Prohibition on sale or import into the United States

Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 25,000 Kinder Surprise eggs in around 1,700 incidents, the CBP says.

U.S. reminds Easter travellers: Kinder eggs are banned

I've always heard they were not allowed within the U.S. ... or is that an urban legend?

 I have heard that thing about customs, but I've always brought them back without any issues

That Kinder Egg ban is surprising. I bought a whole bag full of Kinder eggs and Happy hippos in 2008 when i had my bag searched by customs. They were alarmed at the amount I brought because they didnt think anyone would have that much for personal use  but after gathering I just really like chocolate, let me on my way.
 I am pretty sure I have bought kinder eggs in the US as well. Hm.

Most of what I bring back has been mentioned, but some more:

• At Christmas I bring back crackers (might be fun at thanksgiving too)
• Those advent calendars with UK themes from M&S or the like
• London themed coloring books- the Tate Modern has good ones
• For Ladies- I look for local craftspeople who make soaps/candles or jewelery from the town we live in

Enjoy your trip home

You aren't supposed to take crackers on a plane because they are explosives.   

I have, before I knew I shouldn't, but I don't know how much trouble you will be in. 

You aren't supposed to take crackers on a plane because they are explosives.   

I have, before I knew I shouldn't, but I don't know how much trouble you will be in. 

I have heard it depends on the airline. Some let you and some don't 

Aunty's Spotted Dick!

It used to be you'd bring back tea towels and calendars. Probably get sour faces if you did that nowadays.