Reverend, your 8x40 binoculars should pick it up. As well as Glen, I too picked it up very easily in my 9x50 finder. It's quite large.
I can't make out any colour either thru binos or the scope but I'll keep trying. And no matter how many times I tapped the scope and used averted vision, I couldn't make out a tail - just an elongation. I measured the coma thru my 10" dob at 9' arc mins (close to your measurements Macolm!). Perhaps light pollution is a factor. Tho I was able to easily see the blue colour in comet ISON, under a street light.
Isn't it interesting how our eyes see either green or red, like in planetary nebs. I read somewhere it's to do with the makeup of our eyes
. For instance, I only ever see blue. Well... except Orion is green - that's the only green thing I've seen.