Letters From A Tory Daily views on British politics and the Conservative Party from a centre-right thinker who writes letters on his blog to politicians, journalists and many others.

“O=11xC/L+5xQ”

- the formula devised by British researchers which they claim is the perfect method of pulling crackers to avoid disappointment at the Christmas dinner table.   Diners are guaranteed success if they follow the formula, which is based on the angle, grip and quality of the cracker.  You must first multiply the circumference of the cracker in inches (C) by 11 before dividing that number by the length (L) of the barrel.  Take that total and add it to the figure you get when you multiply the quality (Q) — either 1, 2 or 3 depending on whether the cracker is cheap, standard or premium — by five.  The formula ought to produce a figure between 20 and 55 degrees, which is the optimum pulling angle (O). The cracker should also be pulled one inch from the end of the tail.  A quality control team at Debenhams pulled hundreds of crackers in the run-up to Christmas before discovering the winning formula.