Many thanks for all the reassuring replies. Definately a common theme there that the IMC is a rating which should be used, although with great caution at first and must be kept current to be useful.
Regarding the sims, I've already got a copy of MS Flight Sim 2002 which I've found very useful for getting more familiar with ADF etc. Are there any others which give significant advantages for keeping current, or is that what everyone else uses as well?