Thanks. Yes you seem to have a healthy number of fuses compared to this car. I have looked around the engine bay, including below the rubber cover between the engine and the windscreen. I've also checked in beside the battery, below the spare wheel. I'm still convinced that I must be staring right at the fuse carriers and somehow not seeing them!
As to the aircon issue, the display shows Aircon On, if I simply put the ignition on without starting the engine, but it immediately goes to Off when I start it up. I am assuming it is probably a compressor clutch issue and that the electronics are ok with demanding an "on" position with the engine off but revert to off as soon as it tries (and fails) with the engine on. Before assuming something expensively mechanical, though, I would want to rule out the simple electrical version of the problem where it can't achieve the on position because of a blown fuse.