Many, (all?) hellebores bear leaves all the year round. Old leaves die off and are readily replaced by new ones. Tidy up the old leaves as they occur but don't cut it down completely.

I have many leaves on mine are still lush and onhy tidy up when they look old and tatty

The old leaves stay on to fuel the plant and build it up for next year. As said, unless they go brown (and most won't), they stay on. However, in early spring BEFORE the new growth, be it flower or leaf, emerges, then remove all the old leaves completely, even if still green, as that will ensure the new growth comes through clean, and with no chance of picking up any disease from the old leaves, like the black spot and stem rot that some suffer from. This advice I've followed since receiving it from Robin White of Blackthorn Nursery (Hampshire) who was a top grower and supplier to the best collections nationally. He's retired now, dammit, so the tiny daphnes he also produced (Cheriton, Tichborne, Kilmeston et al) are very hard to find.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.....I WILL TAKE YOUR GOOD ADVICE.