The latest (and as it turns out, the last for us) of HMS ‘Victory’ works we shoot is the removal of the futtocks that have gone rotten and need replacing. Many of them are fine, showing little sign of three centuries of wear and tear – extraordinary to see such a good condition so often, particularly as the Royal Navy’s stewardship of ‘Victory’ over the years was, ahem, “pretty average”. Reportedly it was no unusual experience for a visitor to come aboard, see apparently gleaming solid painted wood, apply fingertip gently, and see said fingertip go right into the planking. Mind you, if the Andrew had had its way, ‘Victory’ would have been scrapped – story goes that when the then First Sea Lord responsible for that decision told his wife, she burst into tears and he hastily rescinded the order. Hmmm.