IMHO everyone who has been so helpful on this thread has offered both genuine and helpful advice for which I am grateful. I do know enough to know this was not a thread that would yield a simple answer. However I do feel that between you all you have pointed me in a positive direction. I will probably start with Python simply because that seems to be a wide-ranging and immediately accessible route.
I gotta say you guys contribute in the best tradition and a lot of folks could benefit from your concise and informative style.
Brilliant
