Having finally succumbed to the i phone 5, i'm ready to load it with apps but which are the 'must have' ones? (preferably free)
Cheers!

I would say Swype... but not sure it's on the iphone yet.

Depends on your individual interests and needs.

However, some generic ones which will suit most people (and make your iPhone experience better) include:

BBC News, Sport and Weather.
Google maps (the pre loaded Apple maps is quite hit and miss)
YouTube

Some of my other favourites are:

Rightmove
eBay
xkcd
TED
Nike running
Dropbox
Torch
Camera+ (had to about £2 for it but to have a photo editor in your pocket I feel it's worth it)

BBC Weather
Google Chrome
Photobucket
My Fitness Pal
PowerCam
Facebook
Ebay
Twitter
WhatsApp
navfree
You Tube
Candycrush Saga

Strava
Audible
Spotify
TuneIn Radio
Wunderground

BMW M Power Meter

I recommend
Co-pilot brilliant sat nav
Flixster - movie and cinema/DVD stuff
Instagram
Netflix
Go pro app is superb - but you have to have one really :-)
Whatsapp is free texting/pics etc
Hoot suite
Downloads for free movie streaming - takes a bit of fiddling but really worth it

mapmyrun
mapmyride
whatsapp
skydrive

definitely second Tune-In radio!, hundreds of internet radio stations, from all corners of the globe every Genre you can think of & most are automated playlists - i.e. no DJ!

Others:

SKYgo
Facebook
eBay
SpeedTest
Sky Sports News
Autoguard (dash Cam)
SleepTalk Recorder
IMDB
Maps

and of course Co-pilot (well worth the £19.99, beats the crap out of Nav Free - thats pants!

Torch
Skype
Spotify
Spirit Level
Shazam
Unit Converter

I've gone the other way, after 4 years of iphone / iOS I have moved over to Android & got a Galaxy Note2 N7105 and so far LOVE IT beats the iphone hands down in every department. as far as I'm concerned for the time being iphones are history! soooo overtaken!

No more awful apple restrictions either

The only apps I ever use (and then only rarely) are:
ECB app for cricket scores,
FotMob for football scores and
Rail Planner for train journeys.
Wifi analyser is quite useful for, er, analysing local wifi networks and which channels are least used and finally
Lookout / Plan B is a free equivalent of "Findmyiphone"

But generally, if I have the time/opportunity to use the Internet, I always use my iPad.

Still longing for a simple phone that uses high-spec processors and has proper battery life and a sensible small screen...

I wished I never installed that game. I put it on a few months ago to see what the fuss was, I was then addicted and had been stuck on level 133 for ages. Gave it a break, played that level and did it after my 5th life, so am now on level 134

Lol, I'm only on Level 40 something

I agree that Co Pilot is an excellent sat nav and have it on my phone, but OP preferred free apps suggestions

Of course on my Nokia Lumia Windows phone the sat-nav and associated brilliant apps are pre-installed. For example i'm in East Looe, Cornwall and the HERE City lens is fantastic for finding the local businesses you need, and there's Maps too separate to the sat-nav......I Phone? Why would you?

No end of photography apps but then one I use most is Snapseed

Bike Race
Words with friends
Sky Go
Sky sports news
IMDB
Autotrader
Tune In Radio
Natwest
Tapatalk

The ones I use the most:

BBC News
WhatsApp
facebook
fccuk forum (not an app but an icon)
Strava
Photobucket
My Fitness Pal
Snapchat
Ebay

Everything above is good but you need Plants Vs Zombies (2).

Thanks everyone, I shall stroll through the FCCUK app orchard and pick the finest.

iPlayer
iPlayer Radio
iTorch
Strava
Sky Sports Football
BBC Sport
Google Maps
Flipboard
YouTube
Pub Finder