Thanks, you have been very helpful. I just tested your suggested getclobval() query with a reasonable PGA setting and it worked.
I don't understand the last sentence of your last reply though. If SB-tables-Data is the schema browser and getclobval() is automatically a part of the query that fills the data grid, I don't understand why it errors in the grid, but not in the Toad editor when I run the query there. Unless, SB-Tables-Data is something else?
Thanks
JOe