A series of short stories specially written for BBC Radio 4 by Alexander McCall Smith, the bestselling author of the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Each story is set at Christmastime and each features the giving of special gifts.

In this third story, "How To Escape in Gaelic", read by James Fleet, an enterprising former Professor of Aeronautical Engineering puts his specialised knowledge to good use in order to escape the confines of a compassionless care home.

The four other stories in the series are read by Hannah Gordon, Trevor White, William Gaminara and Stephanie Cole. They range in subject matter from a generous 75-year-old German female owner of a Wall of Death, to a hot-tempered Canadian chef discovering humility at the hands of a food critic, to the dutiful President of an Eastern European country attending to the poor; and not forgetting Cousin Grace who, over a very dry Martini, shares her adventures in love (just the four marriages, so far) with three rapt young relatives.

Reader: James Fleet

Writer: Alexander McCall Smith

Producer: Kirsteen Cameron. Show less