Ah, nice and sticky rock then.
I would say on the comfort side definately shouldn't be like that, you need to get shoes that are Tight (ish) but not so tight as they are uncomfortable. Not all rock shoes come in nice wide fittings to allow space for your toes - I have the same problem, one of the reasons that when I was climbing I went for the Berghaus rather than the more common Troll boots at the time (we are talking mid 80s here - back in the days of Ron Fawcett and really loud climbing trousers). I think you will be best served going to one of the Rock climbing shops if you can find one near you when you are back in the UK and trying some on if you want to get them. Last thing you want is to be so cramped up in them that it affects your climbing - cramp while climbing ain't fun. You will also find that performance climbing shoes tend to be downturned at teh toe which makes them better at standing on small holds but also a damn site more uncomfortable. Depending on the climbis you go for in the UK - short technicalor strength climbs like in Yorkshire on Limestone or the Peaks on Gritstone or on Sandstone (or maybe the south coast cliffs - Limestone) you can compe maybe with more technical but less comfortable shoes. If you are going for some of the multi pitch 300-500ft plus climbs you obviously need more comfort.
Personally I would join a club - there are loads in the UK, gets some advice from fellow climbers here, visit a shop and try some on, however there are two things I would buy before specialist shoes.
1. a good harness - personally I would never borrow one as you don't know what has happened to it.
2. A decent helmet - I never used to use one but the trend now seems to be more for use than not - again if you are giong to wear one you need to make sure that you know what it's history is - if you are going to rely on it to save your head from stonefall, you better know that it is reliable.
Last thing - buy yourself at least one screwgate snaplink, again use that for connecting the rope to your harness - again you want to know it's history.
It's a shame, I finally gave away a whole load of climbing gear last year as I finally realised I wasn't going to do it again. Loads of belay devices, about 50 chocks for cracks in various sizes, some of the expandabler ratchet protection devices, loads of brand new slings and two brand new 300ft 9mm ropes - OK they were new in 1986 but they have always been stored correctly and never come out of the bags.
So bottom line, don't buy the shoes unless they are comfortable, you can use normal walking boots on Welsh Granite and Slate to start off with - especially on the easier climbs. Use tennis shoes on Sandstone until you feel they have outlived their usefullness and then finally when you are really gong to benefit, get some climbing shoes suitable for teh sort of climbing you like most.
Remember, back in the 50s, Joe Brown, Don Whillans and the like put up some increadibly hard routes which are still rated even today and they did it in hobnailed boots and plimsoles. Technique and guts was everything, equipment was to be honest pretty poor.
If you like crack climbing, go up to Burbage Edge South in the Peaks and have a go at Goliath - put up by Don Whillans in the 50s and still an amazing climb - if short. Really tests your strength and gets you into the Gritstone way of things - and takes the skin off you arms, knees and thighs as well