I know it's a little too early to sow

I started sowing a couple of days ago.... couldn't wait ;-)

bewildered on what to go for. Should it be John Innes type, peat based
or peat free, does it have to be seed compost or will general purpose
stuff do, does it make a difference whether it's a known brand or shed
stuff

Tried Peat-free and it was like working with burnt chips of wood. It
wouldn't hold any moisture, was 'lumpy' and generally nasty stuff, IMO.

- h