Back in the day we used to whip the fuse out of the fuel pump circuit and then crank the engine a couple of turns to depressurise a diesel fuel system - does the 1.8 (XUD) have a better way of doing this?

I'm replacing the fuel filter (and all the other filters) tomorrow, and I'm betting there'll be enough water in there for a pot of tea...

I don't think the diesel system will have any pressure retained in it. The earlier and later diesels certainly don't. The only ones you have to depressurise are the PD and common rail ones I think.