The car

They've found something that needs replacing - it does at least explain why the brakes have been so spongy, even after the pads were replaced. It'll cost me an additional £100 for the parts (I dread to think about the labour cost), but apparently the car will pass the MOT once that's done. Unfortunately getting hold of the part might prove troublesome, so we may well have to wait until tomorrow before we can pick it up and I get the final bill. Until then, I'm continuing to assume the worst on the cost, and am just grateful I had some savings built up to cover it.