Good report and very nice galaxy descriptions Les!
Yes, Loneos is fading fast - I think we've all been spoilt by McNaught! I had the pleasure of viewing 17P/Holmes last week though for the first time, and would have greatly appreciated your 7 degrees! Low, only 2.75 degrees altitude (viewed from flat farming land just NW of Bendigo, Vic) and it was a really special sight all the same. Easy naked eye, brighter than Andromeda, and rather like a large globular cluster but with flared central brightening in 12 x 50 binoculars. Seemed larger in size than 47Tuc. Now know what everyone's raving about!
Cheers -