reverse springs...........

just a quickie...what do they actually do and if one or more have come adrift etc what problems can arise...i think this might be an issue with mine as its a knack to select first if i pull it out of reverse etc...once in first then no problem to go into second....cannot vouch for third or forth yet as its only been moved around a bodyshop at the minute

The reverse springs (external) hold the gate closed to stop accidental movement into reverse. If the pinch bolts in the selector shafts are loose it can cause gate misalignment and problems in selecting gears.
There are other springs inside the top cover (Detent springs) these hold the selector shafts in the correct place once a gear or neutral has been selected.
You need to remove the floor to check whets going on.
It could be as simple as a gear lever problem.