Thanks to everyone who commented on Viner bicycles. I should also have looked in the list archives before I asked the question, as much of what I was looking for has already been covered in past discussions.
Anyway, for the record, here's a quick summary of what I've been told about 1980s Viners:
Nice bikes that were/are under-rated but rode much like any other Italian bike. They were predominantly made from Columbus tubing with Campagnolo dropouts. Tended to suffer from toeclip overlap. 'Viner' may well refer to 'Vinicio Nerini'. At least one Viner was 'a whippy son of a gun'. Viners are still made: http://www.viner.it
thanks again
Joss
Berkhamsted
UK