I am so happy with this purchase I thought id share my thoughts.

I went on ebay looking for a cheapish tripod and found this item.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/UNIVERSAL-Full-Size-Photo-Camera-Video-Camcorder-TRIPOD_W0QQitemZ270256895556QQihZ017QQcategoryZ64330QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l12 62

For 15 quid this is the bargain of my whole kit, it arived quickly and is rock solid and sturdy and made from what looks like serious quality components.
It is very light and comes in a bag for storage.

Looks like a nice little still camera tripod.

I thought that but it hold the weight of the canon no problem and the swival and pivot action is smooth and gives a real good feel.

I think I prefer something slightly more fully-featured for my A1. I really recommend the Libec LS-38 for this camera. It's lightweight and very, very, very smooth. Only about £350 quid, which is not that much considering the quality of it. You won't regret paying out for a really good tripod, especially if you are trying to pull off any kind of smooth tilts and pans.