when i fire my car up with the bonnet open and listen down on the drivers side fronty of teh engine i can here a turning noise. never noticed it before. my paranoia says ahh the cam belt is rubbing or what ever is down there on the anncilary belts has a dying bearing. more likly and more positivly i think it could be teh sound of the alternator when it charging as it is intermitent and far stronger when cold, i havent driven the car for a week. or its the ancilary belts creaking as they turn. so who wants to provide a possibitly? to recap its a faint sound of whirring and turning like a wind up toy down the front left. of teh engine and it gets quieter when the engine is warm, and its very quiet as in you have to to have your ear over that side to hear it.

Could be the alternator, spray some contact cleaner or lubricant water penetrator in and around the pulley. You might have some grit or crap in it.

thanks groover, im glad you were thinking along the same lines as me. looks pretty duirty down there been using it in the rain quite abit and the country lanes are full of l;eaves and crap atm

right got to the bottom of this. turns out where my hicas has a slight dribble, the powered steering fluid was running low. that was teh sound i heard. all sorted now