Whether they've moved for a new job, gone off to university, followed a partner to the other end of the country or settled abroad, almost everyone who leaves home misses something about it. The walk into town. The view from a particular bridge. The building you always knew you were nearly home when you saw it.
That's what makes hometown gifts so special. They're not really about the object. They're about saying: I know where you're from, and I know it matters to you.
Here are our favourite gifts for someone who misses home, for Christmas, birthdays, leaving dos and everything in between.
Why hometown gifts mean so much
Places hold memories in a way few other things do. A street name can bring back a first job, a school run or a Saturday afternoon with someone who isn't here any more. A good hometown gift gives someone a way to revisit those places, even from hundreds of miles away.
The best ones are:
- Specific. Their actual town, not just their county or "the North".
- Something to come back to. A keepsake they'll pick up again, not a one-off.
- A bit of an experience. Something that lets them spend time with the place, not just look at it.
Gift ideas for someone who misses home
1. A hand-drawn colouring book of their hometown
This is exactly why we started Britain in Lines. Each of our books is hand-drawn from the real streets, buildings and landmarks of a single town or city, so colouring a page is a bit like taking a slow walk back through it. It's a gift you spend time with, page by page, rather than one you glance at once.
Our books are printed on 160gsm paper, wire-bound to lie flat, and cost £16.99. Towns and cities we've drawn so far include:
- Yorkshire: Harrogate, Scarborough, Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield
- The North East and North West: Durham, Bishop Auckland, Kendal and Liverpool
- The Midlands: Buxton, Belper, Newark-on-Trent and Stamford
- The East and South: Fenland, Sudbury, Godalming & Farncombe, Reading and Cirencester
- The South West: Exmouth, Torquay & Paignton, Falmouth, Penzance and Newquay
- Scotland: Elgin and the Scottish Highlands
If their town isn't on the list yet, it might be soon. Communities and businesses can even sponsor a book for their town.
2. A print or map of their town
A framed print, an old OS map or a vintage postcard of their hometown makes a lovely thing to hang in a new flat. It quietly says "this is where I'm from" to anyone who visits.
3. A taste of home
Food is one of the things people miss most. A box of local favourites, whether that's a regional biscuit, a bakery's speciality, a local brewery's beer or the crisps you can only get up north, can be surprisingly emotional to open.
4. A photo book of shared places
Gather photos of the places you've spent time together in their hometown and turn them into a small printed book. It takes a bit of effort, which is exactly why it lands.
5. A plan to visit
Sometimes the best gift is a promise: a train ticket home, a booked table at their favourite pub, or a date in the diary for a proper wander round town together.
Hometown gifts for different occasions
Leaving gifts: a colouring book of the town they're leaving is a thoughtful send-off from colleagues or friends, and it's easy to post on if they've already gone.
Students: a little piece of home on the desk can help with the first-term wobbles.
Christmas: for anyone who can't make it home for the holidays, a hometown gift brings a bit of it to them.
Grandparents: for older relatives who moved away years ago, colouring the streets they grew up on often sparks stories you've never heard. Our gifts for grandparents guide has more ideas.
A piece of home, one page at a time
You can't send someone home. But you can send them a little bit of it. And with every Britain in Lines book, 10% of the sale goes to Martin House Children's Hospice, so it does some good along the way too.
