Text tools include horizontal kerning, vertical shift, and character rotation. However, they are greyed out and wont work. Only spacing works. Can you tell me how to activate these please?

Don't create a flowed text, but just click on the canvas and start typing. This normal, plain text will have all those options available, while flowed text (the one you create by dragging a box) doesn't offer them.

Most likely, a box was dragged creating "flowed text".

Just clicking and typing creates regular text with the additional features/controls.

http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Text.html

Thanks. I bought my habits over from another drawing program. Perhaps Inkscape should knock 'flowed' text on the head to avoid confusion?