could anyone provide an explanation of how to run a query in Excel of an Access Database.

I have come across the SQL.Request() formula and think it is the one i need but am a little unsure of the structure of the request

Data > Import External Data > New Database query, find msaccess and then browse for your file.

You can write the query using MSQuery (look in the Program Files directory), save the query, then import it as above. It's too involved to explain in a post but really useful once you understand it. I've got spreadsheets interacting with Oracle and SQL databases and web pages using the functionality.

If I want to bring back data into Excel using an Access query I'd use djglover's suggestion. To build a query directly in Excel from Access or SQLServer I do the same as stumpyjon ( which, as stumpyjon says, is a bit involved to explain here).