Thanks Gadge, all useful info, I'm just trying to eliminate things! Funnily enough I thought I'd swap the plugs, they were new, but NOS. Swapped them for some brand new ones and he seems fine when hot now. A good few cranks to get him going but he's started every time. Could be just luck but time will tell. I'll bring back the timing to 10 deg BTDC and see what affect that has.
Drove to Ledbury and back, as well as Tickmorend and back, only hiccup being the plastic link that attaches the cable to the carb throttle gave up the ghost (thread had gone), so had to bodge it with cable ties! Got us to our destination, and back again so I was happy with how it all worked out! I fixed that properly with a bolt and a few nuts welded together to extend the linkage to some of the plastic thread that was still ok.
About 110 miles to a tank with little journeys too so approx. 120-130 miles tops, which seems pretty consistent with what others say on here, I had my doubts about the fuel gauge but for now it seems to be telling an approximate truth!
I'll post some pictures up once I'm back home.