Hi
Tried to remove the lowers from the forks this morning by removing the allen headed nut at the bottom of each fork leg and gently pulling. No movement at all so I think the exposed threaded section is possibly screwed through the bottom of the fork leg itself and the nuts I removed are acting as dust covers. The forks work fine in the vertical plane but there is a small amount of play in the legs which translates to a lot of juddering when the front brake is applied. I ride round it by using the rear first and most.
Certainly feels like the bushes are worn and after 15 years I'm not surprised. Local bike shop has indicated that they can replace the forks with similar items for not much money so will likely go down this route.
I appreciate all the help and advice though.
Thank you.