Thanks to everybody for the commentary and ideas.
Whit and BA sizes are (for now) freely available, but certainly in the case of BA it seems a case of 'whilst stocks last'.
Since obsolescence, planned or otherwise is a pet hate I have decided to adopt 2mm as the smaller size as fine (0.25 mm pitch) for which I have now been able to order thin and full nuts for delivery in the New Year.
The other size I shall need is ~4mm and I can turn the threads on the shafts to 0.25mm pitch, and with a little(?) ingenuity make nuts to fit(?), so it's out with the Cowells.
I look back in time and often marvel at what our forefathers could achieve by hand.
Jerry