Now for the big one. When Levi was seven we used to get the train to school every morning. At that time Virgin trains used to run from Bournemouth station and every time he saw the Virgin train he'd get really excited. He'd look through the windows and study every detail of it.

Then he discovered Hornby trains and whenever we went into a shop that stocked them he'd stand and study the Virgin train set.

Last year after Christmas and his birthday he ended up with more than £180 and I asked him if he wanted to buy a Virgin train set with it. I bought him a Hornby catalogue to look at but when it came down to it he couldn't bear to part with all his money in one hit. Instead he frittered it away on little bits and pieces. He still had fun buying things but when the money was spent he didn't really have a lot to show for it.

A couple of months ago we went to Hobbycraft and he spent hours studying the Virgin train set again. He said he regretted wasting his money and wished he'd listened to me and bought the train set.

Little did he know that I had been saving up to buy it for him. They cost £200 so it was going to be a joint birthday and Christmas present.

In the end I didn't pay £200 for it as I managed to get one from Amazon for a lot less.

He saw the box when it was delivered and guessed that I'd bought him a train set but I told him it wasn't as there was no way I could afford £200. A few days later my dad delivered a big sheet of MDF which I'd asked him to get for the base board and Levi said 'I knew it, that's a Virgin train set'. I told him it was a train set but not a Virgin one as I couldn't afford £200. I told him how much it cost and he then spent hours trawling through the Hornby website trying to work out which one I'd bought him.

He was blown away when he unwrapped it. He kept saying 'how did you afford it' and 'I can't believe I've got it'.

It was worth every penny just to see the look on his face.