Just out of interest and for future reference, does anyone have particular tips or advice on how to choose a domain name? What is an ideal character length etc?

don't make it too long, for example, for my site, i would choose anyforum.tld over theanythingforum.tld.

Well, for me:
I just write down a bunch of words that I like, and then just mix and match them to find the one I like ^_^

Of course, you want your best keyword in the name.

Say the best keyword was CHIMP and your site is about puppets.. then i'd go with:

puppetchimps.com
kidschimps.tld
curtainchimps.tld
dachimps.tld
ChimpStand.tld <<< This would be PERFECT in this case, since puppet shows are done standing behind a curtain.

Thank you all for the replies and advice, i appreciate it.

There are few things you should consider.

- Brandability (That comes with the sweetness and shortness of the name)
- Memorable. Is it east to memorise, easy to tell others
Search Engine Friendly: If your domain name has your product name in it, then it will get your better search results in the long run

Hope it helps.