corradoerina wrote: Now .... the machine from the bottom looks very different from Geoff's picture! Is it a different model / year? What is the corresponding component in my picture?

It's the same unit, the black thing top right; the only difference is the way the braided hoses are laid out -- this is an older model with more handwork.

It seems like you are not familiar with espresso machines. The repair here is fairly advanced; and you might consider sending the machine to a local company that services commercial espresso machines. This will set you back a couple of hundred pounds, given their likely hourly rates; but that is still a lot cheaper than a new machine.