Flowers and chocolates are a very caring and very romantic gift; a very personal gift between lovers. And the great thing about flowers and chocolates, is that you can't really go wrong which, is a major bonus for any man. Buying the right chocolates is not difficult, unless you buy luxury coffee flavours and your partner is allergic to coffee say. And when buying flowers, the only thing you have to check, is that the glorious spread of stems you're about to give your partner, is appropriate as a statement of love, and not more appropriate for a funeral cortege.

But recent research has shown that flowers and chocolates to one side, women are quite definite about what they want as a present.

Top of the list is clothes, although how many men are confident about buying their womenfolk clothes is another matter. And then you get into that awful territory of, ".does my bum look big in this.." So, you might prefer flowers, or chocolates after all.

Next most popular is jewellery although, again, this is still fraught with a few problems. How many men can pick good jewellery, though there are a few ways around this. Either ask a friend of theirs (a woman), or take some time to have a look at what your partner is wearing. Obviously, this might be asking a lot, as a man will be able to spot a type of Ferrari at two miles, but ask him to remember his partners outfit that day, and he will struggle.

But after flowers, chocolates, clothes and jewellery, men enter safer ground with what woman want, as a digital camera and a DVD player come next. A digital camera is quite straightforward, as long as you pick one that has an acceptable mega-pixel size (basically, this determines the size of the picture and try to get 7 million mega-pixels and above), one that has a great colour (maybe bought as an accessory to a coat say), and, fits ever-so neatly into a handbag. And as for the DVD player, these have become plentiful and cheap. If the budget allows, go for one with a record facility, if not, just make sure it has the right basic controls and is robust enough to take a Bridget Jones DVD being repeatedly taken in and out.

By the way, in case you are interested, women want least of all, DIY products, or games, or surprise, surprise, a radio controlled car. Now, don't moan because you've set your heart on that radio controlled car, but how many men really want their woman to fancy a radio controlled car, honestly? Enough said.

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