Well it all worked out in the end. I snuck out of the first meeting to get lunch, only to get to the canteen as the last portion of what I wanted was being served to the person ahead of me in the queue (at 13.10!!) So back over to the sandwich bar to get a bacon and brie baguette made, which I zapped in the microwave and nommed.
Other meetings OK, for the last one I got asked if I could use my laptop to project, I said fine but I was leaving by 4pm latest so they'd have no visual after that - no problem with my manager or colleagues as it turned out

We told the presenter so we finished at 15.50, what a star (two other people wanted to leave on time today too!)
Got home, husband made me a lovely dinner, and then I had presents. A t-shirt with recorders on

and an iPad 2

which I have switched on and it has said it has a problem and won't activate

All the online help seems to be for when it goes wrong at the next step, it assumes you can get through set-up in one piece, whereas mine connects to wifi then just "computer says no".
So I shall be phoning my nearest Apple shop tomorrow to see if I should visit them, or John Lewis where it came from (or I might just take the afternoon off and go to Cambridge - as JL and the Apple shop are in close proximity. Though I have visions of JL giving me a new one, me getting home, and that one not working either...)
Edit: haha, grumpy husband. "They're not cheap, you expect them to switch on at least!" except with a few ####s in there too