Hopefully I will know tommorow what it's like to use. If it does not take a spark then I will see what it's like with a lighter as a firelighter. Thanks for the replies.
I am going to try the 2 day soaked bits tommorow, squeezing them out then compressing them before they go out to dry. I will see how those char up. They should work a bit better if the paper is more compressed, from what I have read above. If I can get hold of saltpeter then I will give that a go afterwards.