So am I correct in saying the leather cover over the instruments can be removed by careful upward pulling , as it is only held in place by those plastic Christmas Tree fasteners ?

 

Yes and no.. Yes, you just have to pull straight up on it. It's not held with the plastic fasteners you're thinking of.. Here is a picture of what the fasteners look like. Be careful, mine broke off the first time I removed it. I had to epoxy back in place and it was a big pain. Just be patient and work it off slowly.. Good luck.

 

Yep , less than 30 secs to remove . a firm pull at the windshield end first then another bit of gentle persuasion at the front and it was off after removing the tether screw . Nothing broken . Re glued the leather down at the two front seams with epoxy . Held the leather in place with those springy paper clip things(bulldog clips) let it dry and its ready for reinstall .
Another job off the detailing list .