radarman, I should perhaps have put my post in the past tense because I'm not working operationally at present. But my LCEs never had any problem with the practice.
Nor did my 'creativity' generate any adverse comment from a trapper who witnessed my using an altitude above Transition Level for a minute or so. It was a while ago so maybe the CAA view has changed - and it does tend to depend on the who you get from the Belgrano! But as I recall we discussed it, I explained that I was using an altitude for an unplanned temporary stop above TL for a short time - less than a minute I would guess - to assure separation without requiring lots of altimeter resetting etc. Trapper appeared content that there was a reason and that I knew what I was doing. Mind you, I think it was that time I got a rollocking for something else!
