Thanks Uemura, I had a look at it and it seems promising. Don't have any ZnCl2 or NaBH4 but maybe I should get some (I assume NaBH4 is not a suspicious purchase ?)

After finding out some more about ester redn with Na/ROH, it seems the reaction is a lot more temperamental than I previously thought. So I'll most likely not re-attempt it.
Therefore the ZnBH4 or LAH route will recieve serious consideration over the next few days..

Fischer Esterification of Various Aromatic Ring-Substituted
Benzoic Acids Catalyzed by Microwave Energy

http://www.heidelberg.edu/depts/chm/fischer.html

[from a link given by Aurelius]

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Mountain Boy