Courtesy in shared spaces

Now what I find myself worrying about is we're treating pedestrians and other vulnerable users in much the same way as motorists are treating us on the roads - us being the faster heavier and ultimately more dangerous objects.

I know this isn't a new thing but I reckon there's a lot more the cycle community can do to be courteous in shared spaces.

100% agree. Peds are more vulnerable than cyclists, we should treat them as we'd wish to be treated by cars. A lot of cyclists don't do this.

Now I'd describe the cyclists as riding comfortably within their abilities but it was definitely enough to unnerve the Mum.

This is a big part of the problem. You can be absolutely confident that you can stop in time and are giving pedestrians enough space, but they clearly still find it disconcerting.