Crackers Pages

Is it Christmas yet?

Is it too early to mention the ‘C’ word? Yes, I hear you say, but already preparations have started at Santa’s Grotto* with ‘cracker making’ now in full swing.

The BWG are famed for providing high quality crackers to local businesses, pubs, hotels, as well as individual orders and we do have lots of orders to fill. I don’t suppose many of us give much thought what goes into making a cracker? Well, let me tell you, there is a lot, these really are handcrafted from scratch. Rolling and sticking the cardboard centre piece (no toilet rolls here folks). Fixing the snap in place on the roll. Making, cutting, sticking, decorating the paper hats. Filling the centre roll with hat, joke and gift. Cutting the colourful foil outer to size and then sticking on said roll. ‘Slashing and pulling’ foil outer ready for ribbon decorations and finally boxing into 10’s. Phew!

Although very labour intensive there is something therapeutic about the repetition involved. The crackers turn a tidy profit for much needed funding to the charities and causes we support. A big thank you to Jane for all her organisational and buying skills - you wouldn’t believe how difficult it is to get snaps (gunpowder) past the sniffer dogs at airports! *Santa’s Grotto is Shirley Kennedy’s house who kindly lets us use her home each week and provides much needed storage for all the products needed to make crackers. We are very grateful for this and her smiling face plus cups of tea!