CX or gravel bikes availability

Look at Giant Revolt and Cube Nuroad too. Canyon Grail or Grizl AL both in budget if it works with your B2W - Canyon send a weekly in-stock bikes email which you can sign up to.

Boardman gravel bikes tend to get good reviews though

I wouldn't let the Halfords thing put you off. The Boardman bikes tend to be well regarded, and the spec for the price tends to be competitive.

The main issue with Halfords tends to be young fellas working in there who haven't a clue. Not their fault either, there's obviously little enough training. That's not to say you don't or can't find good staff in there, but it would be my complaint, rather than the quality of their stuff.

Also, the one above is orange. Surely worth buying for that alone...

its the same frame as the CxR 8.9 but with a band-on FD. I have the CXR (yellow), its very heavy(11kg), solid enough commuter and ok for light gravel and canals, the disc brakes are good for the winter commutes and i've put 4 seasons 28s on. i wont like to be trying to keep up on club group spins if thats your thing. Also Hellfords.....badly assembled, i regret not stumping up another €400 odd euro and i could have gotten a carbon Planet X of about ~ 9Kg at the time

no it came assembled but not well assembled !!.....