I too have had the 'pleasure' of the Fauvel and the primary at Bicester. They were dragged out during my instructor course and we were told to stop whimpering and get in/on and fly them.
The Fauvel had one saving grace in that it climbed on a fart - and after the scariest aerotow I've ever done, I had a pleasnat hour's soaring. The twitchiness in pitch was quite disconcerting and having been briefed on the 'flick loop' wasn't keen on trying it.
It did used to get winch launched - a process which required a yolk as there were two hooks, one either side of the canopy. The stability problem really came to the fore in the winch. One pilot, Pete R##k (RIP) who weighed about 50kg didn't get it under control and the thing pitched up from the ground, the cable back released where the thing did a flick loop at 200' and landed straight ahead. The oft told story mentions they couldn't persuade him to get out so towed him back to the launch point still in it. He was just sat there with a fixed starre, gripping the controls shaking! Seem to reacall it had it's wing tip ''accidently'' run over run by a later CFI on the retrieve tractor who wasn't keen on anyone flying it.
The Primary was fun - in a scary sort of way. Didn't so much glide but plummet. Some pilots did a "Primary Streak'' - flying it naked. One was towed down Bicester High Street at 200'!