Re: "home-pirating CDs never became a big thing"
"Strangely the tape deck has stopped playing now. I suspect a belt has perished"
In the past, I've bought replacement belts from Maplin or similar. They were really cheap (<£1) but a quick look at Maplin's site now puts them at £6 to £8 a pop, which seems exorbitant for a glorified rubber band. Prolly cheaper elsewhere.