...well there I was just having picked up a pie and a coke from my fave
shop, and off down the road, and the Freelander started hissing at me.

Odd.

It got worse.

Sounded like a demented snake.

Then the power which had been off, got worse.

Then I noticed it was smoking ..and finally I was getting little orange
lights telling me the EMS was unhappy. I had by this time a pretty fair
idea that the turbo was blowing, or blown...fancied a dodgy wastegate..

Turned back and limped to the local grease monkey, who was out to lunch.
Really. So I poked around at the turbo hosing and me finger went right
through it and came out covered in black gunk same as was sprayed all
across the front of the engine compartment.

Arrgh. I had figured it right. Turbo hose blown, no pressure, no power,
to little air=too much fuel, EMS confused, giving up..

Anyway the grease monkey gaffer taped it up, and after an initial start
that blew clouds of turbo oil out into the nice Suffolk day, its running
perfectly.

New hose arrives tomorrow.

Moral. Carry gaffer tape. ALWAYS. And just because the grease monkey
looks like something out of a trailer trash movie, doesn't mean he isn't
damned knowledgeable and helpful.

And of course it was last week the Sunvic thermostat simply died..now
replaced, yesterday the MAC OSX hard disk died, now replaced..and I had
to take my mother to hospital..and a complete reinstall of
everything....and today the turbo hose blew..

it's been one of those weeks really..

Just in case your existence has been blighted, remember, it could be worse..