I’d probably be very embarrassed about it now but more years ago than I care to remember (I was about eight at the time) I surprised my family by making the crackers for Christmas Day.

I do know that my mother had a back-up box in the sideboard (oh, ye of little faith) but in the event they did not get used. My crackers were a huge success and thereafter became a part of Christmas. In truth, the real thrill, for me, was seeing my family’s faces when they saw what was in their crackers. Usually daft things, like a hand written joke, a hat (consisting of more sticky tape than tissue) and a homemade present. They were always a success, simply because they had been made with a bit of care and thought. 

As the years went by my crackers progressed from crepe paper and a loo roll inner to become more and more ambitious and what they would look like became a highlight of the Christmas Day table. I can’t remember which Christmas it was, but one year my gran (much missed) gave me a nudge and said, ‘You should think about selling these’ and I laughed. I now work with a small team in a studio in West Sussex where we make a great many crackers. There isn’t a loo roll tube in sight and the presents are no longer homemade, but the philosophy is still the same. A bit of care and thought.