good garage? where are you? actually exeter? or honiton etc.
tomorrow shoot down to your local car bits place and buy form silicone spray. its like WD40, but not oil, its silicone. you can use it on your electric window rubbers to speed the windows up as it doesnt damage rubber, anyway...
this is where it gets fun. kneel outside the drivers door, try to lean backwards under the dash to see the top of the pedals, the clutch is fixed at the top, and there is a connection running through into the engine bay.
on that connections is a ribbed rubber gator, grab that baby and try to slide it either up or down top expose whats inside it. this is either your clutch cylinder, or a linkage to it, i dont really know. either way where it disapears into the bulkhead it gets dry and snags.
here comes the fun part, give it s good spraying with out getting it in your mouth/eyes, push the pedal a few times with your foot then repeat a few more times.
replace the gator to its orriginal position and see how you go.
this probably wont work, but at least the clutch will feel a bit better.
also check for stupid things like the carpet hasnt moved and is preventing the clutch being depressed.
PS, that inch of movement is fine. well, its not what i would want, but i have it and my clutch is hunky dory.
if thats doesnt work, just make a few notes over then next few days, like when it happens, all gears affected? only when stationry, only changing down, hot engine, cold engine, after long distance? first thing in the day etc.