go the mot on saturday and got a few things to do, including the handbrake which i only just remembered.
how difficult is it to change the handbrake, and where can i get the part from in time.

cheers

flash

Nice and easy. Any LR dealer will carry cable, Paddocks stock for definate.

I did my 90 cable in under an hour, and just over an hour for the 110. That included taking out seat/cubbie box.

what tools were required?

From memory: pozi screwdriver to take off gaiter on handbrake handle (step 1); size 13mm spanners to remove nut and bolt holding cable to handle (Step 2); snips to remove split pin on other end of cable (drum end); size 19mm/17mm? spanner to under nuts clamping cable in place on fixed bracket attached to handbrake drum (Step 3). Then withdraw cable (may find its clamped to seat box too with a couple of nuts over the cable). Fit new cable , fix it at both ends and to seat box (if applicable - some do vary a tad), then use the two nuts over cable on the fixing bracket mounted near to handbrake drum to adjust the tension so handle operates correctly. Finer adjustment of the handbrake shoes is via the square peg on back of brake drum on nearside of vehicle (13mm i recall), screw in to force shoes nerarer to drum. be aware though that as you screw this in, the shoes move to the drum, then move away, then back to drum, all because of the way the screw is shaped.

I find replace cable, get tensioned so handbrake just about works (park on slope and play on/off with handle). Then adjust shoes to make handbrake really good. After a few miles though, and a few operations of new cable, you may need to adjust tension again due to cable stretching.