Yes I am pushing it up. Here are a few photos to show the kind of Barrell I have:

Also, what does the little black curved button next to the barrel do?

nicholas9182 said:

Also, what does the little black curved button next to the barrel do?

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It allows you to have parking lights. When switching the engine off, hold the button in, then you will be able to turn the key one more position anti clockwise and the side lights will come on.
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Davren said:

It allows you to have parking lights. When switching the engine off, hold the button in, then you will be able to turn the key one more position anti clockwise and the side lights will come on.

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Click to expand...

Ok will that help in any way to get the barrel out? Earlier on page 2 someone said you may have to turn the barrel by 90 del and then take it out, but mine doesn't seem to want to turn either. Could it be that the key cut for the ignition isn't a very good key? It's pretty clunky when putting it in or out

If the key turns the barrel then there's nothing wrong with the way it's been cut.

Hold in the release tab in the slot in the ignition housing with a scewdriver while you turn the key in all positions including the 'parking position', the one that requires you to press in the black button beside the barrel.

I can't actually turn my key to the parking position, even when pressing the black button. Could this be because the guy who cut my key didn't cut it to do that? Doesn't really make sense....

If the key makes the barrel turn to the other positions then the way it's been cut won't affect turning it to the park position. Try holding the black curved button in firmly with one hand whilst turning the key with the other into all the positions and the parking position as well as withdrawing the key a few times; don't be so hard with it that you end up snapping the key off in the barrel. It may have gone stiff through lack of use as I know mine was stiff when I first went to use and I thought it was broken too. Alot of people don't know about the 'parking lights' position so therefore it never gets used.

Thanks for all the help! Managed to get it out. Turned out I had to get a flathead behind the gap between the barrel and the black plastic sheath and lever it out. It was just a bit stuck!!

I just wanted to say that this thread was really, really useful, and I have changed boot, doors and ignition using it.
The how to guide was really helpful for the ignition switch in particular. For a ungifted amatuer there were some squeaky bum moments when the footwells were covered in screws, steering wheel, indicator stalks etc and new barrel would not go all the way in, but went in after persevering.
Thanks everyone.