Thanks guys. I recall that the last two winters had colder and clearer nights than average so here's hoping for some more.
The sharp stars are related to the short focal length (640mm) and the type of instrument (refractor).
I've attached an example of a background which was extracted from one of the images - the process helps to remove some light pollution and makes the background more even. This image is an approximation and looks a bit brighter than the actual background that was removed.
There's about 50x more stuff that can be done in both PS and Pixinsight by more experienced imagers; I've only dipped my toe in the water and I'm quite slack regards processing. I haven't even bothered with calibration frames so far.
BUT... I have had lots of fun and I find my setup super easy to use
