many thanks for the replies Martin, FFF
Martin, re references, I agree that employers would rather get references from other airlines that they are familiar with but hopefully the airline/airlines I would hopefully be working for (a good dose of optimism here) will be well know enough to alleviate any concerns of experience gained with a sub-standard outfit.
FFF, you are right in that the training would not be JAR compatible so it would be a matter of distance learning (with a 2-3 week refresher course in the classroom) whilst flying to pass the 14 papers required.
Following on from FFF's post, is there anyone out there who has gone through a JAR conversion having obtained an ATPL elsewhere, especially via distance learning? How difficult was it compared to what your initial expectations were?
cheers