Nice work David.
Light pollution doesn't matter here, as Sirius provides all the light pollution required to cause havoc! Success is largely dependant on seeing, but it doesn't have to be perfect. I find myself getting away with a split in very average seeing. Magnification is your friend here, the aesthetics of the star image don't matter, the aim is to blow up the seperation as much as possible.
What a thrill it is to split this notorious object for the first time!