go on telegraph.co.uk/magnolias pruning click on magnolia pruning scrole down page to how to pruning magnolia, hope this is what you want Salicifolia

Thanks Cliffo ....will have a look see!
By the way - anybody able to name the variety for me - as the name tag got lost "in transit" like 20-30 years ago she tells me ...LOL

it looks like the picture on the right of this page, salicifolia

Advice in my book says to cut back untidy plants and remove dead wood in late summer or after flowering for deciduous species and in spring for evergreens. Hard prune only mature specimens and only in spring. If this magnolia is salicifolia, the leaves and bark should have a lemony aniseedy smell when bruised or crushed, flowers slightly fragrant, narrow leaves.

Could be ...I'll let her know to look ..thanks Cliffo

Hi Bamboo....thanks for your input too...I will need to ask her about the lemon scented bark bit...I haven't noticed this thundering great Magnolia when I have visited - but will need to have a look when I can next get there...she just lives 15 miles up the road!! Certainly by the look of her pic the leaves do look narrow enough to be the salicifolia one.....so thanks...I will now be able to let her know what to do and NOT to do !! My take was certainly to prune after flowering...so she will have to wait a bit as it flowers in abundance now it is happy!

Make sure any pruning is done after all risk of frost has passed - magnolias are rather fussy in this respect

Very wise point Andrewr...I have emailed her all the info you folk have offered but will remind her of the frost side of things as up Deeside is well known for its frosts pockets!