hi geoff, yes it does need priming, very easy to do, as soon as the vacuum drum has a few inches of water then just shake it about a bit to prime, then it stays primed with continous flow. It also picks up small solids like bits of small stone, grit sludge and moss etc. eitherway you can put a different one in if you like as the setup is setup for it. where abouts in norfolk are you? I've got a few bits n bobs that might interest you like the mosmatic with vacuum off which compliments the vacuum nicely.