@atkins.chrisw
You can always create a page and set the permissions on it so your users dont see it.
You are going to have to elaborate more about the errors you are getting for us to help you. For starters when and where it happens and your console output. The login issue in particular is strange, as a 403 means that you are not logged in, perhaps record your screen as this occurs with the console open so I can see exactly what is happening here, you could post it to YouTube.