Hi Andy
It is possible that the waterpump impellor isn't working as well as it was when it was new and in the case of some old BMWs the impellor used to come off the shaft and sit idle and blocking the waterways. Remarkably, the engine gave no symptoms of any issues except for when sitting in traffic (thermosyphon system working as it should do)
Worth replacing if in doubt but also don't forget the coolant expansion cap on the reservoir as if this is faulty then it can cause the same symptoms