Pudding basin is any deep, rounded, slightly tapered bowl that has a lip on it, for tying the cloth around. Put pudding mix in bowl. Place cloth over the top and tie piece of string around top of bowl. Pull up to lip, and tie the ends of the cloth over the top of the bowl. This gives you a handy bit to stick the spoon under when you fish it out the steamer and the string should catch on the lip and stop the cloth coming off.

If you want it to burn well, keep adding alcoholic beverage of choice - brandy or rum are best, but you can use scotch if you really must..... When you come to lighting it, put pudding on a flameproof dish that is big enough to leave you hand holds on either side. Get a friend to help you, who doesn't mind if they lose their eyebrows. Warm about 1 cup of whatever alcohol you used - brandy or rum, but do not allow to boil. It should be about blood heat, or so that it feels nicely warm when you stick your finger in it. If you burn your finger, the alcohol has already burned off, start again.....

Pour all but one big metal spoonful of warmed alcohol over hot pudding. Take pudding to door of dining room, get friend to take the spoonful of the alcohol, set light to it and pour over pudding. This should set the lot off, and you should be able to put a flaming pudding on the table. Christmas pudding often has a bitter taste. This is what burnt holly tastes like. Do not use plastic decorations/charms inside.

Charms - Button - bachelors button, the person finding this would remain unmarried.

Silver sixpence/thruppeny bit (pre decimal sterling money, ask someone older than me....) meant wealth over the year.

Thimble - thrift - person finding this would not be so lucky.

Ring - person finding this would marry in the following year.

Oh, and have a bucket of water on standby for those overhanging decorations, or if you can't wait for your pudding. I did one a couple of years ago that didn't go out for 20 mins....

LTS