I took a photo to show the reading on the gauge but failed to save it to the SD card in the phone

All four cylinders read within less than 1% of 218psi! Healthy figures as expected, including from number one, where a plug with the porcelain broken away around the bent remains of the centre electrode was found, the outer electrode having been bent completely away from the plug's centre. The good news was that, sitting there, hooked around the bent centre electrode, was the elusive washer, or at least a large portion of it.
So, after Ben bought a spark plug and fitted that, the engine was started and ran sweetly, then came a rattle that at first sounded like an end noise. Strangely, it went away again and stayed away until the engine was turned off, then restarted which was tricky as the starter motor was misbehaving. I had a listen around the block and head with the Tommy bar of the plug spanner as a stethoscope, nothing but smoothness, but the current thinking is that the starter pinion is playing silly buggers and the noise of that, catching occasionally on the ring gear, was causing that worrying knock.
Ben still has to address a stripped stud in the carb before pressing the car back into regular service, but other than that, all was found to be well and at least that sweet little engine is still sweet. Phew!

I also took a photo of an axe being used as an improvised starter wake-up device, perhaps as well that one didn't save either......
