Very interesting read, thanks for that! The Forge pipes were simply suggested as I was fantasizing over pretty colours but that thought has passed!
My coil packs are not due a recall, phoned VW and checked with their database so all good. I'll keep my eye on them though, and replace if required. Downpipe and sports cat... Now I thought it would only be worth doing that if you go stage 2 tuning, but I may have to re-consider my approach, however the R32 rear bumper has been acquired so fitting a full system may be the simplest option, allowing future upgrades without the need to think about the exhaust system. K04 upgrade would be lovely, but a long way off just yet.
Cam followers, what's the symptoms of failure from this component?