Many thanks for all the feedback - i will get some pics up this weekend for sure, i will try and figure out how to do that with the help of my five year old - being totally new at ANY forum i guess i should have known to put a picture on. Rubber is fine with time so long as its dry and not exposed to UV - (thanks to Alan Day's VW for that) btw The golf does have a full service history. Yea, I have been very lucky i know, first lucky thing that's ever happened though - it must be all plain sailing in life from now on then i guess.
THANKS.