Nice one Arctic i know we can rely on you for a straight and thorough answer everytime.
This weekend weather permitting ofcourse its time to lift the rear inspection cover and take a look at the compensator. Last year i did the naughty and put washers on the bolt cable to get thru mot, it worked for a few months and then horrendous noise one day when engaged handbrake. Thought cable had snapped but suspect compensator is in a bad way as a result. Strangely last week i noted the handbraake had come back a lot and put it down to the colder weather possibly stiffening up the compnesator but thats a theory to be assessed further at the weekend. None the less Nigel always gets left in gear when parked and we avoid hill parking like the plague.
