...I get ear bashed for using indicators too much, but I remember my driving instructor ( used to be an Army driving instructor ) advising me that indicators are DIRECTION indicators not right of way indicators and should be used to inform other drivers of your intentions, and that's what I still do
Same here; it's just habit. I passed my driving test fifty years ago.
Who is ear-bashing you; Her indoors? My wife learnt to drive in more recent history than me and she was taught to not signal unless there was following traffic. "What about pedestrians?" I say, and "What about that bloke that you cannot see, that's just about to come out of his driveway?" I say.
Trouble is, if you tell road users that sometimes they need not signal they will think it's ok to never signal, (sort of a 'Give em an an inch, and they'll take a mile' thing)