Alright bud, good to hear you are still in one piece. I bugged out before it started getting too hot!
On the ECU side, it all depends what else you are going to do to it. "Normal" tuning can be done with the standard ECU, with maybe the addition of a boost controller (Apexi, HKS etc) but for more interesting stuff, a standalone ecu like a simtek or a hydra (tracktive solutions) can be programmed to do all sorts like antilag and launch control. £600 is a bit cheap though. Splash the cash, you are saving enough at the minute!