Just use inline styles to adjust the table links.

I'm impressed with all the assistance on this, thank you all. I think I favour the CSS route and am happy to create a CSS for this "unique" page, as I certainly do not want to disrupt links elsewhere on this 140-page site......you are so right Cary! So if I keep my table in its own <div>, linked to a unique CSS file and insert the CSS code utlined above (subject to colour changes), I'm almost there. Then remove all HTML to do with text formatting and insert the <a href="stuff"> I might be in with a chance, it seems.
Accessibilty for various disabilities is important to me, as is the desire in this case to avoid a "wiki"-apearance to the page.
Apart from a banner, a <h1>, a paragraph of instruction, the only other element on the page is the main navigation, which was created in the built-in menu builder and I assume this latter will not be affected.
I'll get on with it and let you all know.
One more thing, Tom, do I recognise you fro Facebook? if not you've got a double somewhere!
Tony, with many thanks:cool:

*giggle* I don't think Tom looks like his avatar at all.

And BTW: I think Cary's advice is the one I would go for. If you use css in the head section of the page, or even inline css, remember there are 26 letters in the alphabet, and if they all have their own page...

Try this and see if it works. This was done using the example shown in the first post with out changing anything

In your CSS file, type this:

td a {color: #FF0000; text-decoration: none;}
td a:hover { color: #FF8080; text-decoration: none;}

This will effect all links in a table. I just used different colors so use the colors you want.

I hope this helps.

Luis

Hi Everyone and to all who have made helpful suggestions A HUGE THANK YOU!
HTML for the first cell:
<div id="alphabetlinks">

<div><table width="100%" border=1 cellpadding=2 bordercolor="#340a89" cellspacing=2 bgcolor="#e5e5e5">
<tr valign=top>
<td>
<div>A</div>
<div><a href="academiesoverview_4.html"> Academia Brasileira de Letras</a> </div>
<div><a href="academiesoverview_4.html"> Academia das Ciências de Lisboa</a> </div>
<div><a href="academiesoverview_2.html">Académie Française</a> </div>
<div><a href="academy.html">Academy Board</a> </div>
<div><a href="academiesoverview_3.html">Accademia della Crusca</a></div>
<div><a href="errors_affect.html">Affect (Errors)</a></div>
<div><a href="errors_alternative.html">Alternative (Errors)</a></div>
<div> <a href="american_dictionaries.html">American Dictionaries</a> </div>
<div><a href=" british_americansites.html">American and British differences</a></div>
<div><a href=" britamerican_glossary2.html">American to British glossary</a></div>
<div><a href=" punctuation_guide.html">Apostrophe (Punctuation guide)</a></div>
<div><a href=" roguesgallery_mullaney.html"> Apostrophes in street names</a></div>
<div><a href=" other_english_australian.html">Australian English</a> </div>
<div><a href=" other_english_australian.html ">Australian-British glossary</a> </div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>&nbsp; </div>
<div> </div>
and the page now has a dedicated CSS file:
/* CSS for qes site nav plus 1
*/
body {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
background-color: #333333;
font: small Helvetica, arial, sans-serif;
}
#wrapper {
width: 1100px;
margin-left: auto;
margin-right: auto;
margin-top:20px;
padding-bottom: 15px;
background-color: #E3DCD8;
}
#banner {
border-bottom: 1px solid #660066;
}
#content {
margin-top: 10px;
margin-left: 220px;
margin-right: 20px;
border: 1px solid #330033;
padding-top: 5px;
padding-left: 20px;
padding-right: 20px;
}
h1 {
background-color: #660066;
color: white;
text-align: center;
}
#navigation {
float: left;
top: 170px;
margin-left: 20px;
padding: 10px;
width: 200px;
}
#alphabetlinks a:link {
font-family: verdana;
color: #400040;
text-decoration: none;
}
#alphabetlinks a:visited {
font-family: verdana;
color:#FF0000;
text-decoration: none;
}
#alphabetlinks a:hover {
font-family: verdana;
color: #FFFFFF;
background-color: #400040;
text-decoration: none;
}
#alphabetlinks a:active {
font-family: verdana;
color: #0000FF;
text-decoration: none;
}
AND IT IS ALL WORKING BAUTIFULLY!

Glad to see you cracked it Tony

Only with the help of the CC gang, which seems to be full of people like your good self Dave. I hope to launch this site fairly soon and 'will give you a heads-up!
Thanks again.
Tone

glad to hear it Tone, can't wait to see it, you've been at it for a while and I can just imagine how nice it's going to be with all your hard work.