Home position problem + goos skirt, but then pants :-(

[thegoodguy]

you re calibrated way too close to the printbed.

cura is not good and certainly not easy to use or adjust.

try pdownloading prusaslicer.
https://www.prusa3d.com/prusaslicer/

Also unless you change the bed levelling nuts for locking nuts - bed calibration tends to be a constantly ongoing thing with i3's .

Thanks for the advice.

I have swapped over to Prusaslicer now. The first layer is still not great, but it may be, as you say, due the constant atteniton the bed-level needs. I haven't been checking that.

On the whole though, de-splodging notwithstanding, the 3D printing experience is a fulfilling one

Many thanks.