Post Update !!
Had my car in for its annual service & MOT this week and I had them carry out the gearbox oil change at the same time (independent little garage up the road from my work)..
OMG what a difference to the gearbox. The gear changes are so smooth I can barely notice them... having had the car for 5 years, the gearbox operation had degraded so gradually that I hadnt realised how much I could "feel" the gearshifts.
Also, as I was suspecting, when first used in the morning, I quickly join a stretch of dual carriageway and I was suspicious that the clutch was slipping until it had warmed up a bit ... yep !! It was !!!! Not now though !!
