Friend stayed, so we managed to get shade off. Wouldn't fancy doing it alone. I used that woven rubber stuff so the screws could finally move. Then it all collapses unless someone else is helping you.
Originally, first electrician "fitted" the light, and by evening it had crashed to the floor. Other lot came in, and fitted wrong bulbs which burned the wiring, as I saw when I took shade off.
So I can at last get new bulbs. At some point I'm sure I'll get a helper to reassemble, but I'm not in a tearing hurry! (The manufacturers haven't replied re disassembling techniques, but I have found plenty websites where people are tearing their hair out over bad lamp design)