Organising a child's birthday party can be like taking on an extra job. But Jem's Fairies can remove some of the stress.

In 2003, actress Jemma Powell was between jobs, when she created 'Fairy Jem' a character who would go to parties and entertain children. 'Fairy Jem' became so popular that Jemma recruited fellow actress and singer/songwriter Chelsea Dixon to join the team. Since then the business has expanded further, with other actors taking on characters including Wizards, the Mad Hatter, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell who will play games, do magic tricks, tell stories, or do a spot of face painting at parties. Jem's Fairies can also organize the invitations, decorations, party bags and cakes and have organized parties for Claudia Winkleman, Martin Freeman and Helen Fielding among others.

Jem's Fairies take the sweat out of the equation. So while the little darlings are being entertained, the mums and dads are free to… have their own party.

www.jemsfairies.co.uk

Jem's Fairies offered all Vanity Fair A-list members the chance to win a Jem's Fairies party (worth approximately £350) for their little girl or boy, including; invitations, decorations, a 1 hour party at your home (or a venue of Jem's Fairies choice) for up to 20 children with a magical character of your choice, games, prizes, face painting, magic, storytelling, dancing, balloon modelling, singing, parachute games, a gift for the birthday girl/boy and party bags. Don't miss out on future offers, sign up to the A-List

Don't be conned by winter pretending to be over. It's just temporary. But if a drop of sunshine has given you a craving for more, then ogle pictures of the Maldives and start planning a trip.

If barefoot island life with delicious food and the most spectacular snorkelling and diving is your thing, then check out the new Jumeirah Dhevanafushi. It's a short plane trip and then a speedboat ride from Male International Airport (which is not actually on the capital of Male but on a separate island called Hulhule).

Dhevanafushi itself is quite tiny, but the architects and designers cleverly didn't try and squish in too many rooms; instead there are 22 huge villas each with their own pool and palm tree lined garden leading to a ridiculously soft sandy beach. The bedrooms are vast and getting lost in the bed is a serious possibility as the mattresses are a whopping three metres wide.

Most island resorts in the Maldives have villas on stilts in the water, but here the 16 overwater villas, known as the 'Ocean Pearls' are so properly over the water, they're not even linked to the island. You have to take a short speed boat trip to get to these massive wooden suites that seem to float on the water. And once you're there there's no reason to leave; the Ocean Pearls have their own restaurant, spa rooms, bar and swimming pool.

But the real reason to go to the Maldives is to see what lies beneath the sea; a world of coloured coral, busy fish, elegant rays and charming turtles, with the odd friendly shark for good measure. You can lose yourself for hours, swimming meditatively amongst these creatures. And joy of all joys, Wifi and BlackBerrys don't work in the big blue. Yet.

www.jumeirah.com

P.S. Since I was there at the beginning of January, the political situation in the capital of Male has become unsteady. There are no issues at Dhevanafushi. But always check the advice given by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (www.fco.gov.uk) before travelling.

Stocked up on tea towels? Sorted for mugs? Bought the T-shirt, the rose bowl and the emblem box? Alas, dear reader, committed monarchist and collector of regal memorabilia, your work-in this, the year of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee-is not yet done. Not quite. Not until you have added a bottle of Johnnie Walker Diamond Jubilee whisky to your commemorative shopping cart.

This is not any old bottle of whisky. A proud holder of a royal warrant since 1934, John Walker & Sons (to give the firm its proper name) have produced a seriously good and seriously limited edition to mark the Diamond Jubilee: just 60 bottles, one for every year of Elizabeth II's reign, containing a blend of whiskies all distilled in 1952. Needless to say, there is a serious price tag attached: £100,000. So, what does your hundred grand get you? A piece of history, for starters. Plus a Baccarat decanter adorned with Britannia silver and a diamond-studded collar; a pair of lead-crystal glasses engraved with wildlife scenes of Balmoral and Sandringham; a hand-bound, hand-inscribed "artefact book"; and a bespoke cabinet made from oak and Caledonian pine and decorated with fine marquetry using timber veneers from around the Commonwealth (when closed it looks a bit like a retro-cool record player from one of the early James Bond movies). You also get a sense of well-being that comes from knowing that the good people of John Walker & Sons will donate the profits to the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, the charitable arm of the Royal Warrant Holders Association, which preserves and supports rare craft and conservation skills.

Oh, and don't forget that you get a very, very nice drop of whisky too.

By Steve King

Prospective buyers should email diamondjubilee@johnwalkerandsons.com to arrange a private appointment.