I really enjoyed some of the ideas Stapfam threw up there, and they took me on my cycle buying journey to a surprisingly local shop called "de Ver" cycles (some of you will know who "the "de Ver" in question is!) where I had a conmversation with the mechanic who was on early morning duty and looked at a few ready-mades (averting my eyes from some of the items on show, like the dreamy pinafiores).
As a result of a little consideration and on looking at the £895 price point it is seeming likely that a Ridgeback "Voyage" tourer will get the job done for me and take me back to the (now "exotic") world of Reynolds 501 steel tubular frames, which look to my mind the next bet for lasting out the next thirty years.
This has the added benefit of soothing that early regret at the sale of the Dawes Galaxy (without the eye watering price tag).
That's where I am up to now, but I do intend to road test at least three of the mix, with a giant among them hopefully, in order to make the final choice..... The problem now is to find a bike shop with one in stock they would let me have a test ride on.... I asked in the shop with the "Velocity" and "Fx" ready for road testing, but they could only get one in if I commit to purchase
Really enjoyed your comments also rydabent, God willing there will be plenty more purchases, but I more intend them to be in the tandem arena if possible..... and at this stage with the house we live in the "living space" for bikes dictates one everyday, one road, and one tandem and that is it for bikes!