Well, I went to Lewis Tackle today and found three dodgy looking characters in there

who, with the help of Simon, the owner, reassured me and persuaded me that Century was indeed the right way to go.
Simon offered me a great price on a pair of Century Kompressor Super Sport rods and I had a sneaky peaky at a couple of reels as well, starting with the Penn Fathom 15 (non levelwind) and ending with the Saltist.
Got what I felt was honest and considered advice from folks who actually use the rods in anger and I felt a lot easier with the products having spoken to real-world users.
Thanks a lot g-force for your (and your friends) advice this afternoon (and in this thread) which was very much appreciated.
I left to mull things over and I think I'll be picking up a pair of Century Kompressor Super Sports by the end of the week, possibly with a pair of Saltist reels to go with them, and I feel a lot easier now making an informed decision.
If things go that way I'll post some tackle porn pictures for everyone

of the new rods and (maybe) reels and then get my rear in gear to go out and christen them both. Looks like I'll adopt a bullheaded "I'm not going home until I've caught a decent fish on both rods" attitude this coming weekend. Might turn into a long session...
The saga may roll over into next week if my job takes me overseas again this week, but watch this space...
Thanks again to everyone who offered information and helpful advice - very much appreciated from someone making a return to a sport that has changed an awful lot in the last 15 years.
To be continued...