On Thursday I met my mother for a spot of Christmas shopping in the West End. “I need a Secret Santa present for a fiver or less”, she declared. Despite having many years of consumer experience my mother decided the best place to find a gift within such a budget was the perfume counter in Liberty’s.

As you can imagine our search was fruitless. However among the bottles of scent, I spotted this. A quick test spray confirmed the accuracy of the smell. An appealing novelty gift perhaps, but who would choose to reek of a Victorian drinking den? Luckily Mum opted for a make-up mirror from John Lewis instead, and ruin was averted.