I used to keep an Amazon wishlist, but they only let you add things that can be bought from them. Screw that. Here’s a list of things I’d really like.

I’ve broken the list into thematic areas and (roughly) into order of desirability in each of the sections (though not so much in the courses section).

Music and Streaming

This is the horribly expensive section. Sorry.

RØDECaster Video

I’ve been running my YouTube streams with an ATEM Mini Pro ISO and it’s great, but a tad fiddly for some of the things I want to do. The RØDECaster Video supports all the extra stuff I’d like to do and it’s audio features in particular are a substantial improvement.

I don’t need one of these – my Mini Pro has been doing excellent service since I bought it – but I really want one.

Ear Trumpet Labs Myrtle Microphone

ETL microphones look fantastic and are designed for the kind of music Emily and I make. In the US bluegrass and americana scene they’re almost the de facto choice for small ensembles doing the old school ‘bunch of performers around a single mic’ style of performing.

I have one of these now. It gives me joy every time I use it. Sometimes, things really do bring joy.

A course of some description

There’s so much to learn, isn’t there?

Photography

I realise I’m never likely to set up my own darkroom, but I’d love to learn to use one so I can hire one occasionally. The Art House in Wakefield has a Taster Session, as well as a Darkroom One-to-One option that looks very tempting, and Wakefield’s close enough to Doncaster that their Darkroom membership looks pretty handy too.

Not quite a traditional darkroom process, but I’d also love to learn Photogravure, which is a cunning technique for printing photos on an etching press to gorgeous effect.

Music

Maddy Prior runs courses for singers at Stones Barn and there’s always something on her list that looks tempting. Right now, the Interpretation Work For Traditional Singers with Nancy Kerr joining Maddy in November looks rather tasty.

The singing courses at Halsway Manor look great too, and Halsway’s a lovely place.

Cookery

I’ve enjoyed River Cottage pig related courses, and could fancy one of their fermentation or curing and smoking courses.

I like to think I know what I’m doing with a knife, but a Knife Skills course would go down well too.

Crafts

The Kitchen Knife making courses at https://craftcourses.com/ look great.

Kitchen-y and Foodie Things

A meal in a fancy restaurant

I say “fancy,” but mostly I mean “somewhere you love.” The most important part of any meal is the company, after all. I’m more than happy to travel ludicrous distances for a memorable meal, with the caveat that the place needs to be wheelchair accessible for Gill.

A Chef’s Knife by Michael May

Michael May’s a Sheffield knife maker who makes gorgeous knives. I have one of his pocket knives and it’s always with me. He recently started making a range of kitchen knives as well, and they’re spectacular. Any of his kitchen knives would be a delightful thing to have, but I’m an absolute sucker for a chef’s knife.

Even if you’re not thinking of buying one of these for me, check out the rest of the site and try to resist buying one for yourself – you never know when you’ll need a pocket knife that really cuts.

A Tormek T-1 Kitchen Knife Sharpener

I’m not denying that this is complete overkill, but I do like a sharp knife, and I would be honour bound to sharpen any kitchen knife you brought to me for the foreseeable future.

Almost anything from Sous Chef

I’m a sucker for a good cookbook. The chocolate and sweets collection is amazing, and I wouldn’t say no to a Microplane coarse cheese grater.

Almost anything from Chocolarder

When we lived in Cornwall, we met Mike, the founder of Chocolarder back when he was making small amounts of chocolate in his garden shed and selling them at farmers’ markets. I was a sucker for pretty much everything he made, but his Sea Salt Caramel Truffles were amazing. They still are. It’s a little harder to impulse buy stuff from them now we’re living up country again.

Stationery

There’s something about a good pen and the paper to use it on. Lots of lovely stuff at Cult Pens, including:

Kaweco Liliput Fireblue Fountain Pen

The perfect fountain pen doesn’t exist, but these are gorgeous and I’d love to have one in the pen loop of my pocket notebook. A fine nib, please – I’ll be using this with a small pocket notebook and writing small.

Opus 88 Mini

Another pocket fountain pen option. Fine nib, please.

Got myself one. It’s lovely, if a little chunkier than I expected.

Pilot Parallel Pen

Because sometimes, I just want to muck about with a really wide italic type nib

Rhodia Notebooks and Pads

Just the nicest paper for writing on with ink pens.

Ink

I’m still searching for the perfect sepia ink. Something that looks like it was written 200 years ago and has dried to the perfect dark brown. I have the horrible feeling that the only way to achieve that look is with some iron/gall concoction that’s then been left for a long time so the original colour vanishes to be replaced by the permanent colour that comes from the iron/gall reaction. Any colour but green, really.