Late comment on:
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2"> For a while we were doing a Zurich which departed at 08:25L. Now we usually report 90minutes before a duty but for this particular duty (which incidentally may have been the start of a tour) they made us report at 07:00L just so that it wouldn't be classed as an early </font>
Assuming UK CAA applies, if your Ops Manual specifies a 90 minute report time, then it is a breach of the AOC to reduce this without a CAA exemption/alleviation or a Dispatch Crew (only if your Ops Manual permits a Dispatch Crew).
To answer another query on this thread, SARPs are ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices. Unless the State of Registration has formally filed a Difference with ICAO, a Standard must be obeyed. A Recommended Practice is not compulsory.