Sorry, my 'bum steer' - wasn't using the www. (its on my start up settings so didn't look that closely).
Just got through - and the nice chap in Lahore (after being given the bollocking of his life as to the fact it really wasn't necessary for me to repeat the address, password (which i typed in at the beginning of the 50 minute wait) and account holder details for him to answer my question) owned to there being a problem with "the internet".
Heh ho