Can anyone talk me through how to rig up an old fashioned washing line?

[moogdroog]

Have just moved and left my rotary line behind. In our new garden we have two post about 8 metres apart, one with a very rusted pulley looking type thing and a also rusted cleat further down.
I have bought a length of washing line but I've not a clue how to rig it up. And if I manage to get that far do I load the line with washing and haul it up using the pulley? Do I need a prop?
I feel so uselessly modern for a change!

There was one of these in our house when we moved and we still use it but we just rigged up the line/wire as you would between two ordinary posts ,so its just a plain line and I use a pole to prop up the line once the clothes are on it.Does that make sense? It works perfectly this way-couldnt be doing with using a pulley thingy.(By the way,whats a cleat?).

Is any good?

We had one in a student flat many moons ago and I loved it because it was like a cartoon!

I've been wondering this too! All our neighbours have tall poles. One fixed line below but the one above gets hoisted up on high and their sheets blow wildly up in the air. I am well jel and would love love love one. You're lucky you've already got the posts

We have a piece of washing line and a prop both for less than £5 from wilkos. The line is just tied between two poles.

When putting the washing line up put it slightly higher than you think you want it as after a couple of weeks with washing on it will stretch a little. Whenever we put a new line up I have to jump/stretch for a week or two before the line slackens. I am very short though so if it starts of low enough the washing will touch the floor once its looser.

I find it helpful to put a dog-collar snap on the end of the line to help fix it.

If you don't already have fixings, you can get vine-eyes in the garden centre or DIY shed to scre into a post or wall. If possible, screw them in at right-angles to the line so they don't pull out. You will need to drill a hole first, and, in a wall, put a plasplug in. In a wall, try to put the eye into the side, a few bricks from the edge, not into the face of the wall, so the brick doesn't pull out, as may happen in an old house. A full load of washing can be very heavy.

If you have a post with a pulley on it, the idea is that you slacken the line so it comes down low enough to reach (wrap the line round the cleat) and then pull it so it goes up higher to dry. Because wet washing is very heavy, you may not be able to do this with thick cottons or blankets.