1.4 HDI - Dropping the Exhaust

So, the missus says to me "the car's making a bit of an odd noise, has been for a week or so." Jump in the car, yes, metal on metal grindy noise. Not good. Put the car up on jacks, ah, OK. The front two exhaust hangers are rusted off, the entire system is hanging from the cat and the rest of the hanger on the rear box. No problem, I have a welder. Got the hangers off, managed to get the flange clamp off at the front end, but cannot get the flexy pipe put of the flange.

Any ideas? twatting it with a hammer doesn't seem to have loosened anything up. I'd really like to avoid attacking it with an angle grinder, I want to get it off in one piece.

Aaaaaand - it's off.

plumbing heat mat to protect the gearbox / motor, heated the cat side up to a low red, sprayed water on the flexy side to apply some heat shock, a bit of my favourite penetrating oil (mixture of acetone and ATF), and a bit of hammer / chisel action...

Now for the reconstructive surgery.