THE PASSPORT is back in the drawer, the tan is fading fast and the credit-card bill is winging its way towards you. Your holidays are over for another year but you need not forget them. Souvenirs aside — or better still in a charity shop — you have your memories. And, more importantly, your photographs.

Far from ending the era of the holiday photo, going digital has made us snap-happy. Film is retro. We now come back from our fortnight in the sun with hundreds of electronically frozen mini-moments. Best of all, we can airbrush ourselves so that sunburn becomes sun-kissed and everyone’s eyes are always open and never red.

Snaps are the perfect way to bring some summer sunshine into your home, which never looks duller than when you get back from holiday. Prominently display pictures of you and your partner (with optional smiling children) in an exotic location; only you need know that the perfection is airbrushed. Each masterpiece must be shown off properly.

So where to go to get in the frame? First, resist the temptation to buy abroad. Anything hand-beaded or decorated with seashells is out. Ditto shoddy bits of pseudo-ethnic tat. If taste is no barrier, remember that the frame is probably the wrong size for UK photo formats.

Back in Blighty the options range from cheap and cheerful to sleek and expensive. Most people still get prints (digital or film) done professionally, and photo-processing shops stock a range of frames and albums. Jessops has one of the biggest ranges. Boots does a range of soft-fabric frames especially for children with characters from Winnie the Pooh from £10. Much less sticky, but far less fun, than making a frame at home.

Marks & Spencer stocks more than 30 frames, starting at just £3 for a basic metal frame with stand. Silver-plated frames are pleasingly plain and range from £9.50 to £18. Convincingly expensive, they had me checking for hallmarks. For a slightly warmer look, opt for Burwood, from £7. If you want to introduce a touch of maximalism, go for the Baroque. A touch of Venetian opulence for just £8 — cheaper than a cappuccino at Café Florian in St Mark’s Square. Take it too far and splash out on the Oval Jewel frame, pictured right, at £18.

Bou is a painted pine frame from Habitat. At £1.25 it is probably the cheapest item in store, though it doesn’t look it. Vue, £4, is magnetic — perfect for the fridge or your filing cabinet. Candi, £3.50, is also cute and comes in two super-bright colours, one of which can only be described as electric tangerine. If you take more pictures than you can possibly frame, then Boxin, £10, is a good buy. Frame your current favourite in the lid and store the rest in the box below. Butler, £17, displays nine photos and comes in suede.

If your holiday was the kind you’re still paying for next summer, you will want a suitably expensive frame. Look no farther than Tiffany & Co. A 7in x 9in sterling-silver frame is £275 and would not look out of place propped up on the Queen’s piano. A smaller, slightly more contemporary, coin-edge version is £185. At £165 only spoilt children will be given Tiffany’s ABC frame.

If you fancy being very futuristic, get the FotoTech MemoryFrame (£380). It transmits up to 80 digital pictures from your computer, creating a constantly changing display. It even has sound effects, so you can hear the gulls on the beach. What more could you want? Only, perhaps, another holiday.

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