update - Managed to get over to my friends place thursday night to test out the turntable.
Not only was there no signs of the clicking and knocking either audibly from the turntable itself or through the speakers - after about 2 hours of comparing my old AR to the Rega 3 with the Elys 2 cartridge, I wasn't sure which I preferred, and my friend was basically raving about my AR and told me if I didn't want to go through with the whole project of getting going again, he'd take it off my hands and offered me a sum on the spot that I thought was frankly bordering on the ludicrous (to the extent I wondered if he was being a good mate, and being a bit "charitable" to help a pal out without it looking like a handout...)
he also suggested another older amplifier to look into picking up
second hand - the Marantz PM-57 - so if anyones got any experience of those I'd welcome feedback.
and, best of all - he dug out his old Cambridge Audio A1 and a little valve phono preamp box that he'd upgraded from and told me to take them away and use them until I'd got something better sorted out. So, hopefully with a bit of faffing around today, I should have a working system (albeit with a borrowed amplifier for the moment) to start and listen to some of my stuff...
I'd like to get something sorted so I can give my mate his kit back sooner rather than later, because he's the kind of bloke that if I keep it a month, he's likely to just ring me and say "you know what Mark, I don't need it, just buy me a pint next time you see me..." - and - I may be skint, but I have my pride.
