Thanks, I'll look at the TZ60.
What I'm really after of course with the aperture control is the ability to choose whether or not the background should be in focus as well as the object I am photographing. Most compacts seem to just assume that I want everything in the frame to be in best possible focus, whereas of course I don't necessarily want that.
But if the TZ 60 has manual focus, and I am able to also influence exposure conditions so as to influence the aperture opening vs shutter speed, I can probably achieve the effects that I want.
I guess it may just be my eyesight, or maybe my nose is in the wrong place as it seems to get in the way, but I really do prefer the LCD under all conditions, never had a major problem from bright sun. Being short-sighted, it is very comfortable to use my eyes with glasses removed.
Re camera-shake, you probably know this but I'll mention it anyway... try using the 'delay' function when on long zoom or poor light. That way you can concentrate on just holding the camera still, as opposed to holding it still and press a button at the same time. I also tend to try and pin my elbows or shoulders against a wall or similar if possible where shake is a risk, for which the LCD is of course much more convenient.
Thanks again though, the TZ60 certainly sounds like a candidate.