-Canon Remote Switch (worth the money?)
no, get one from amazon or ebay I paid about £30 for my Nikon copy vs £100 for the genuine
Tripod (suggestion please not too expensive!)
Here you want to spend a few quid as it's like a car what's the point of having a fast car and rubbish tyres? A decent tripod is there to support your camera, to prevent shake and give you a stable platform a cheap one wont do this as well as a decent one these
http://www.redsnapperuk.com/ are considered good value,
www.giottos-tripods.co.uk offer a better value range than manfrotto (what I use) have a read through
http://www.bythom.com/support.htmAlso if you're planning landscape, wildlife and pet photos you'll probably want a hydrostatic head and an L-Clamp (might be one for further down the line).
Other things you'll probably want
ND filter(s) for landscape with water shots
ND Grad filters for landscape shots
If you're taking pet photos a blower and lens pen (good stocking fillers

) some sort of lens protection, a UV filter will give you around 1/3 of a stop less light but will stop your lens being scratched up.
A flash Nissin or Metz offer a good equivalent.