Just a short comment... Alan, you said:" I wonder Phil ,does your finger pressure on the buttons and general discomfort from playing,come from trying to play the instrument loudly?"

This experience illustrates very well the basic conflict I mentioned.Since holding the English stable enough is so difficult you will easily try to stabilize the whole system with the fingers - to be able to intonate, to get dynamics into phrasing, and most of all to play loudly - i e with extra need for stability when pumping.I have since many years been advocating for the "fanning" method of bellowsing and to make that easier I use an elastic strap across the bellows keeping the lower/opposed part of the bellows closed. The pumping efficiency is very much greater and tonal "attack" can be much greater as well. Some concertina players have adopted this method which is not as uncommon among accordion players.