Alastair,

Come on, put it in gear, not the transmission, but your thinker.

When you are shifting from one gear to another (1 to 2, 2 to 3, etc.) the input shaft AND the output shaft are spinning and can be synchronized without too much stress. With ONLY the output shaft spinning due to motion while the input shaft is almost stopped because of low speed before the clutch is released it will be difficult to put in gear.

With anything mechanical such difficulty is sending you a message. If it is difficult to make move, you are probably overstressing the machinery to make it move.

It is important to learn this. It is how you learn to have a FEEL for the machinery.

If you want this manual transmission to last for a long time, don't move the lever into first gear unless you are at a dead stop or very near it.

Good luck,