SOLVED?
I think I have found an answer to my particular problem but still not sure what triggered the problem in the first place.
From posts elsewhere concerning blank screens on laptops after suspent etc - Light Locker was discussed .
My issue was slightly different , i.e desktop with CRT monitor.
I had previously explored the Desktop display settings options to see whether they had any effect - no change. i.e changing backround from blank to backround picture etc.
After the upgrade to 2.6 from 2.4, I had adjusted the Power Manager setting for monitor staged shut down, and I had recently added the pc suspend to the schedule. This seemed to be working OK without problems, but before the problem posted.
So I checked setting in Light Locker and found for some reason ( my action? Can't be sure) that enable Light Locker slide button was set to on. So disabled this and restarted - Problem persisted.
So with the light locker still unchanged to off went to Application Autostart and unclicked liight locker and then restarted.
Also went back into Application Autostart and Light Locker was no longer present as an added option - i.e it had been removed from the list of active start ups.
Success!! Normal service resumed Desktop display = Black screen but with ICONS - menu bar as before on bottom if screen. The latter had always been present during the problem and functioned normally.
Not sure if this will be of help to others -