Project bike recommendations!

[CassidyAce]

I'm lost on what was bottom of the range Vs what was a decent bike. Probably willing to spend up to about 150 if I really fall in love so not expecting to get a world beater, just something worth me bringing back to life and light/agile enough for fun!

As a general rule of thumb, a 'decent bike', steel-framed, from that era will be made from double-butted cro-moly (cro-mo); a bottom of the range bike will be plain gauge (PG) cro-moly or, even lower, carbon / high tensile steel. £150 should get you a mid-range bike from the 1990s, which will very probably have a double-butted cro-moly frame, and will be fun if not a 'world beater'. Whatever you do, though, do not get cheap, heavy tyres: they'll suck the joy out of what could otherwise be an enjoyable bike. As for brands and models: it's largely a matter of personal preference and getting the fit right. Kona, Marin, Specialized and others are all popular here. Univega are less well known but their Alpina models are well regarded.