Googling this suggests it might be quite normal given the car has only ever idled in the drive, when
it occasionally decides to play ball and run.
Really don't want to take the head of to find nothing wrong with the gasket.
Think I'll just fit the new water pump and timing belt, fill the coolant with plain water
and see what transpires with the coolant problem then a compression test before head off crap.
Any ideas?

 

lots of short journeys and cold stop starts causes condensation which shows as cream cheese in the breathers ,
id clean out the breather and run it up to tempreture and give it a good run then check it

 

Cheers for that. Only ever been idled on the drive. Cleaned out the breather and running fine,
apart from a leak from sump and oil sensor. Oh the Joys.