The column checks out the pros and cons of doing the Christmas shopping online instead of wading through the crowds

STILL an internet shopping virgin? There aren't so many about any more. We're expected to spend nearly £70m shopping online this Christmas and we will buy more than a third of our presents that way.

When it works, it is brilliant. Last Thursday afternoon I spent an hour at my computer shopping. On Friday morning - less than 24 hours later - there was a steady stream of delivery vans bringing the goods I'd ordered. Easy, or what?

But if you are unsure about shopping on the internet - and the pitfalls are many and varied - then an easy way to start is by using the online version of the High Street - the big, well known names you can trust and where you know the sort of things they stock.

As it's getting frantic out there on the real streets, maybe this weekend is the time to start on the virtual marketplace. We've looked at the some of the online versions of our favourite High Street stores to see how easy they make it to click through our shopping.

You can also compare prices by logging on to one of the shopbots, such as www.moneysavingexpert.com.

Remember - if your computer is using older software, ie more than about five years old, you might find internet shopping e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y s-l-o-w. Also, older software is not sophisticated enough to cope with the security levels necessary for safe shopping.

Oh, yes, and you might be too late to avoid the supermarket chaos. The idea of ordering all your shopping and having Christmas delivered in a van is quite blissful, but plenty of other people thought of it first, so by now you will probably find that most supermarket delivery slots for Christmas are already booked up.

ARGOS

www.argos.co.uk

HUGE site, very quick but not terribly easy to find everything you want. Easier if you have a copy of the catalogue alongside you. Today is the last day you can order for a Saturday delivery, as the last Christmas delivery is on Friday the 22nd but, again, delivery dates vary from item to item and you're cutting it fine, so don't hang about. Delivery charges £4.95. Next day delivery £7.95.

BHS

www.bhs.co.uk

THE only items you can buy online are gift vouchers and school uniforms. Very festive.

BOOTS

www.boots.co.uk

EXCELLENT site. Shop by department, gift guides, promotions. Lots of special offers available on line. Star brands include Ted Baker, Soap and Glory, National Trust and Elle Macpherson. And you can use your Advantage card too. Very quick and easy to navigate - though they apologise for slowness and advise to avoid peak times. This was one of the few sites that really acknowledged it was Christmas and had up to the minute delivery times.

Delivery charges range from £3.50 to £5.50. Last order days are Monday the 18th for standard delivery and Thursday the 21st for next day.

EARLY LEARNING CENTRE

www.elc.co.uk

WONDERFULLY quick and friendly site to use. Clear illustrations and descriptions and plenty of age-guidance. Gift wrapping £3.95; basic delivery £4.95 (free on orders over £100); premium delivery £6.95.

MARKS & SPENCER

www.marksandspencer.com

GREAT site. Easy to navigate, divided into departments just like a store. Plus flowers and food gifts. Last order dates vary, but Sunday is probably safe in general. Flowers orders, last date for Christmas delivery is Thursday. Three for two special offers on gifts. Free delivery on orders over £30.

NEXT

www.next.co.uk

CLOTHES, accessories, hampers - which seem to come from Lewis and Cooper in Northallerton, flowers and gifts. Fairly quick and easy to navigate, although the pages are like pages from a catalogue - strong on style but not on detail.Delivery charge is £3.75, no matter how many items you order. In most parts of the country, delivery is next day by courier.

Last day for ordering for courier delivery is Thursday the 21st; Sunday the 17th if there's no courier service for where you're sending.

W H SMITH

www.whsmith.co.uk

AS WH Smith shops seem to get more crowded and chaotic, the website is a joy. Much more fun than the shops. It is easy to navigate and has lots of gifts, especially personalised gifts, that we've never seen in store. Lots of things, lots of special offers, Clubcard points too.

Latest delivery dates vary, but even some of the personalised gifts are available until Sunday. Delivery charges vary from £1.64 to £4.99, but free if you collect things from a store.

WOOLWORTHS

www.woolworths.co.uk

VERY comprehensive site and quite easy to find your way around and with good product pictures and descriptions. But we found it very slow and could not connect to some departments. Very frustrating. Delivery charges vary from £1.50 to £4.95.

NO NEED TO MISS OUT ON GOODIES

MEANWHILE, back in the world of real shops, for those who have a wheat or gluten intolerance, there is no need to miss out on festive fare.

The Health Warehouse in Post House Wynd, Darlington has an extensive range of gluten-free products including Christmas cakes, puddings and mince pies. They also have a large selection of organic Christmas goodies and a wide range of Fairtrade products.

BE CARD SHARP

LAST chance for second class Christmas post is tomorrow. First class is Tuesday, so if you haven't bought your cards yet, it's time you got a wiggle on.

Buying and sending charity Christmas cards is a decent way of getting into the Christmas spirit, doubling the giving. Tricky, though, to know how much of your money goes to the charity you think you're supporting. It can be as little as five per cent.

The best way is to buy direct from the charity involved or from Cards for Good Causes., which gives 81p in the £ back to the charity whose cards you've bought.

They can give such a high percentage because the cards are sold in temporary shops - often in Tourist Information Centres, churches and libraries and staffed by volunteers. Look out for the jolly Santa sign outside the shops.

Places to buy Cards for Good Causes this year include: Barnard Castle Tourist Information Centre; Bishop Auckland Four Clocks Centre; Durham former TIC, Market Place; Harrogate Library; Leeming Bar TIC; Leyburn TIC; Newcastle St Thomas Haymarket; Richmond TIC; Ripon Library; Thirsk TIC; York St Martin le Grand.