Had a cancellation for lunch out today so I went for a 'test drive' of the 12000. I'm very proud of my first embroidered piece! The machine is now safely ensconced in the dining room while I read the manual. I'm so chuffed with it and such a boost finding this little business within a fairly easy drive of Aberdeen. Makes a change from having to use dealers in England. Thank you everyone for the advice and recommendations. Apart from not test driving all favoured models I did take heed of recurring problems owners had identified in their machines in the forums and reviews. Since the Janome didn't seem as complex as I feared I decided it was the right machine for me (hopefully these don't turn out to be famous last words!!)