After a long battle with a piece of string ... ... prompting the inevitable question which will make even Puggy groan: how long is a battle with a piece of string?
... retirement (which he did the first time he ever gave a firework display ... immediately after lighting the blue touch paper)
.......after a long battle with two pieces of dough,a rolling pin,a very hot oven,three glace' cherries and a book of 'How to' cookery instructions. In Polish. [it was messy]