British shorthairs are a great choice. We have had a blue and 2 colourpoints. The blues can be a bit aloof, but they are the nicest looking and the 'typical' colour. However, having thought long and hard about it before we got our colourpoints, I can heartily recommend them, even if they aren't the gorgeous grey colour that you usually associate. Apparently the breeding makes them inherently more cuddly and personable, which I can confirm. Ours are just the nicest cats ever.
1 word of advice on timing, and learn from our experience. Now is not the breeding season, so there is a high risk buying one now. Either the breeder has artificially lengthened the breeding season, or the cat is the last of a litter that's left over from the summer, and there's usually a good reason! Either way, there is a lot more choice and they are more naturally bred in May to August. Not ideal for Christmas I know, but you are hopefully going to have the little bugger for 15 years or so, so choose in haste regret at lesiure!
Depends where you are, but I can recommend Yvonne at Bonniechloe in Bromley (other breeders are available etc etc!). She knows her stuff, and would certainly be able to advise you (at great length and in huge detail!) about the differences between blues (can be a bit more stand-offish), colourpoints (maybe not to everybody's taste in terms of appearance but great temperament) and tabbies (lovely but very fragile, avoid, avoid, avoid particularly the silver ones like the Whiskers advert).