Just an update to this.....
I think it was the old fuel in the car (after it had been stood a looooooong while.
on the last fill up, I put a redex diesel injector cleaner in the tank..... actually over dosed it.... a 60Litre treatment for 10litres of fuel.
since this, the engine has purred like a kitten... but there are other things that have happened separate to this....
yet another thread to be created about a blinking alternator light (not in any sequence). and an intermittent showing HDC light.