Hi.
If any of you are still following my saga, I have more to add.
Ubuntu 10.10 would lock my ThinkPad R31 up if the power adapter was removed or if I booted off battery it would lock once into Ubuntu.
I booted the 9.10 live CD and it didnt do it. So I installed it. No problems. I then ran the 10.04 live CD and it didnt do it. It ran the 10.04 live CD off the battery and I could pull the adapter out and put it back in, no worries.
So it is either a problem with 10.10 in general, or because originally I installed 9.10 upgraded via update manager to 10.04 and then to 10.10 and it something to do with upgrading distros.
But anyway it has solved it and I am now installing 10.04 as I write this.
Simon