Depends on when the cambelt was changed and if the water pump was done at the same time.

Water pumps often have plastic insides the ware down and the pump becomes less efficient. So often cam pump & water pump are changed at the same time.

So if they car is due a cam belt change or old and with orginal parts it would seam wise.

Sounds like an MG B owner's club day out !

It all depends on a bit of luck too, I once fitted a new waterpump for it to fail just 12 weeks later. For some reason the outer ball bearing cage broke up and jammed the pump solid. Luckily it was only driven by a V belt so a screech, the smell of burning rubber and an ammeter reading no charge were instant clues something was up.

I don't know about now but, in the past car servicing used to be quite cheap in France. You could get it done on your out bound journey while you spend a day in Calais.

Interesting question. It would be unusual for your water pump to suddenly become so leaky and noisy that you couldn't make it back to blighty. As for the belt, googling 'honda accord cambelt failure' comes up with very little, so presumably this is one of the more robust designs. Here's the most interesting discussion I found from where most Hondas are sold...

ask.metafilter.com/243055/Should-I-change-the-timi...p

The best advice in England is...if it works, don't mend it. Countering the risk of not doing it is the risk that it might break down shortly after unnecessary inept servicing by mechanics in a country which values a career in finance more highly than in engineering. I have lost count of how many such stories I have read on this site - and there is one in this thread.