Belt changed at 38,788 miles - now on 43,000. Genuine Vx kit and rollers on 21 June 2006.
This was 3m before I joined this forum and water pump was not replaced. Oh 'dangle berries'
...
I did mine at a similar mileage and did not do the water pump - I know it makes sense while you're there etc, but as it was done by Vx it would have meant lots of extra dosh... my point is that the pump can normally wait to the 80k change, if it did go at 43k it is just bad luck, nothing you should kick yourself for.
As for the noise, if it is the tensioner then the car should also feel under-powered - this is what happened to my on the previous meega, the car drove but felt like it was going on 4 cyl not 6 - pressumably due to the timing being slightly out after the tensioner failed.
Surely there would be some come back from the garage - repairs as a whole is usually warranted for 3 months only, but the part itself should have 1 year?