Maybe it's a memory from childhood but the whole point seemed to be that the joke was extremely bad (no one must laugh (only groans allowed), the toy or gadget must be of no use at all and the hat will probably only fit properly on the kids' heads (and just balance or end up getting ripped on Dad with the biggest head).

Therefore, there never seems to be any point spending more than a couple of quid for a boxful. You'll certainly be disappointed going off to F&M, Harrods or somewhere and paying a fortune for them.

It's a false economy to get crackers that are going cheap. They should go "Bang!"

Boom boom.

My mother buys cheap crackers and spikes them with posh toys that she buys at the pound shop.

Where2Travel's only half right.

At one stage, I used to be given a box of Fortnum's more or less finest every year. The gobsmacked astonishment on the faces of the Xmas lunch crowd when they found working torches, truly attractive costme jewellery and the like was a highpoint of the Xmas ritual.

As companies merged and demerged, I stopped receiving Mr Weston's bounty. And saw what he was charging the paying customers, and decided the gobsmackedness wasn't quite worth it.

But I knew that the top of the Sainsbury, Waitrose etc ranges had the same toys in as in the mid-range Fortnum's crackers. And, though our Xmas guests are no longer stupefied, having non-naff cracker toys still provkes a gratifying frisson when they realise I'm not palming them off with Aldi's crappest.

All for less than the price of a decent bottle of port.

You can also buy empty crackers and fill them as you choose. We got a set from laura Ashley one year, and it was fun customizing each cracker.

Ann Summers do crackers. Really they do.

You can't leave it at that, tell us what's in them!

I honestly don't know and I'm at work so I'm DEFINATELY not googling!

Some kind of fanny-hammer I'd guess. Or gaudy grundies.

Would fluffy handcuffs fit inside?

It's going to be stuff like curry flavoured johnnies isn't it?

Or those wind-up willies.

Flanner : Funny you should mention him. Mr. W (the Canadian branch of 'The Family') is a client of mine and I was just working on some stuff for them this morning. Didn't expect his name to pop up here !

Kate, Dave you are too funny

any update on the Ann Summers crackers?

When we moved to the US in 2001 you couldn't buy a Christmas Cracker anywhere, now they have Halloween crackers??????????????

&quot;<i>When we moved to the US in 2001 you couldn't buy a Christmas Cracker anywhere</i>&quot;

What part of the country did you move to? I've found crackers around my hometown in N. California for years and years - probably 20 or more.

Alya, you're right - they were cheap cheap CHEAP!!!

And I am a cheap person who is planning a cheap trip to England and Wales in the spring, tra laaa...

OK, I feel better now. Thanks for helping me get that out of my system!

Lee Ann

I'm a Brit and I love Christmas crackers. My husbands family will participate when I buy them. Like people have already stated you can buy them in most places. Marks &amp; spencers will have some good ones. You can buy them in the US at places like Cost Plus &amp; Bristol Farms. I can't remember what they are like but i've bought them in the states before and been happy.