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Thanks for the replies @voxelwise, @TvH and @WimVDD it's been helpful.
I don't want to race (nor do I possess the fitness currently) but I want to get back out into the woods. The last bike I rode was a late 2000's Norco Sasquatch that had a more modern RockShox Sektor fork and although old it worked pretty well. Regrettably, I sold that frame and swapped the parts onto a mid-2000s Orange Hitman which I haven't ridden off road yet but can already tell was a mistake. I'm trying to decide whether to transfer these parts onto another, more suitable frame, sell the whole thing and buy something retro or to bite the bullet, drop proper cash on a modern bike.
ricky2slicky-
I recently went out on my 1995 Colnago Master Alloy (I don't even consider it a decent retro bike, actually, as it doesn't have a proper geometry) and it was great fun. I recently bought this Cannondale FSi and for me, it looks hidious. I much more like my 26 inchers (I have 10) and bought this one for ego-reasons only (Once a competitive racer, always a competitive racer, I guess).
WimVDD
If you want to race, buy a modern 29 'er. I have a Ritchey P Team (26") with modern 2x11 xt and although it's a superb bike, it's frustrating when everyone leaves you behind (even the ones that have less skills and that can't follow e.g.on a road bike). But if you don't race, a decent vintage bike is as much fun as a modern one. When used in dry conditions, even XTR M900 canti's have plenty of braking power. When it gets muddy, Magura rim brakes or disc brakes are less frustrating though.