Splicing is not like riding a bike

True in many ways, but significantly in that - for us at least - it is not one of those things you learn once and never forget. I can remember how to do that actual splicing, once I've got started and when all the strands are where they're meant to be, but getting to that stage, whether it be for an eye splice or a back splice, has to be relearnt every time. Thank goodness for Grog's Animated Knots.

We made an early start, straight after breakfast. Jim measured and cut the lengths of rope, and I separated and taped the ends. My first stroke of genius was to put the roll of masking tape in the Sellotape dispenser, which made that bit of the job a lot easier.

Then we spent a frustrating half hour or so poring over animated diagrams and doing it wrong. I picked up the crown knot again quite easily, but striggled for a while with getting the eye splice started neatly. I cracked it in the end though, and ended up doing most of the splicing - once I got more confident, doing it in front of the snooker.

It's been very hard to find galvanised s-hooks this time around (not having Kelsalls on the doorstep) but by chance whilst buying the dining room light fittings from Lamp Spares, I noticed that they sell brass ones, so I got some. I hope they work - I suppose the worry is that they might be too soft. we shall see. Once the splices were all done, I trimmed off the ends...

108 string maggots and a Blu-Tack slug

And Jim has just finished sealing them over the gas hob.

We plan to go over to Alvecote on Wednesday to redo the cloths - the weather forecast suggests that we will need to make an early start as it's currently due to rain at lunchtime, by when we should, hopefully, be enjoying lunch in the Barlow with Renfrew Pete.