I have finally solve my final niggle with Linux, now I can rest easy for a while. I have not been able to browse my local home workgroup ever since I installed Ubuntu and got my core software into place. All standard net activity has been worry free but whenever I looked at Places->Network it has been ghost town central.
I have not had a pressing need to access other machines on my home network so it has not been at the top of my Must Do list. Every now and again I would have another quick fight when I found something in a forum but nothing worked.
Today I finally found that little gem I had been hunting for. It turns out that by default Ubuntu comes with the iptables firewall system BUT has no rules defined. The reason iptables is not configured is that by default there are no ports open. No open ports = no need for firewall rules.
As I come from a Windows background I am used to all sorts of security add-in software and installed FireStarter, assuming is was just another software firewall. How wrong could I be, it turns out FireStarter is just a front end for iptables. When installed builds its default rules set into iptables. This means that even when not started the rules are active as this was the cause of my problems.
A quick edit of a config file later, as in the Linux way, and I can finally see other machines on my workgroup 
If you have made the same mistake as me and installed FireStarter here is a quick edit that will ease your woes.
1) Open a root command shell and issue the following commands
> cd /etc/firestarter/inbound
> chmod +w setup
> gedit setup
you want to add the lines in bold below
# Allow response traffic
$IPT -A INBOUND -p tcp -m state –state ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT
$IPT -A INBOUND -p udp -m state –state ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT
# Allow response to netbios name broadcasts from the local network.
$IPT -A INBOUND -s $NET -p udp -m state –state NEW -j ACCEPT
# Hosts from which connections are always allowed
This will enable the various broadcasts that are required to resolve netbios names, the system used in a Windows workgorup.
Save the file and then issue the following command
> chmod -w setup
Now reboot and all should be fine again in Windows workgroup land
