For over thirty years, John Julius Norwich has been sending out his Christmas Crackers a personal collection of quirky quotes and literary odds and ends to his friends instead of a Christmas card. In September 2007 an invited audience enjoyed a special performance by John Julius Norwich of a selection from his Christmas Crackers at the Jermyn Street Theatre in London to benefit the Venice in Peril Fund. Listeners to this CD can share the delight of the live audience as John Julius entertains us with a compilation of anecdote, prose, poetry and even song that is as charmingly conceived as it is delightfully performed. The Venice in Peril Fund was created after the great flood of 1966. Since then the Fund has disbursed millions of pounds for the restoration of Venetian monuments, buildings and works of art.