okay thankyou, that clears that up. I remembered the second one as well!
When you use phenol to make an ester, you have to use the phenate ion because phenol is insoluable? But this is alkaline as the hydrogen is dissociated. When you use concentrated sulphuric acid as a catalyst in the reaction (with the acyl chloride), what stops the load of hydrogen ions reacting with the phenate ion, making the insoluable phenol?