Would it be possible to give some more detail on this formula PLEASE.

=vlookup(text(a1,"#"), matrix, column, false)

Pls. read the online help on the functions VLOOKUP and TEXT.

=text(a1,"#") makes '1 (=a text) out of 1 (which is a number)

vlookup searches in the first column your data table (matrix) if it can find
'1 and will return the value of the column you specify. "false" means that
it will search for an EXACT match (otherwise it would return the next best
match what you DO NOT WANT!)

arno