Hi there,I'm looking to see if anyone can help identify this plant and also pass on pruning tips

Oh dear, more sideways pixs guess you are using and iPad… Sorry no idea on the pruning front!

The leaves look a bit like Paulownia . . . what colour were the flowers, and were they like foxglove flowers??

I think it is deffinately a Cotinus or the Smoke Bush. We have a good size one in our garden. At this time of year it developes large flowery heads and later, from a distance, these heads look a little like smoke hanging over the tree. I have pruned mine both in summer and autums....it seems not to matter when....they are very forgiving. In the autumn the leaves can give spectacular colour....I have some lovely photographs of mine taken late October/November.

my first thought was Lilac, Syringia. as it has already flowered. In which case you prune after flowering. I drastically reduced one by 2/3 and it has come back without any trouble. or you can remove 1/3 this yr , another 1/3 next yr and the final 1/3 the year after. that way you wont miss out on flowers. It will be making new flowers over the summer ready for next year.
theyu lilacs come in a colour range from white to deepish purple,

I don't think it can be Cotinus, John . . . it doesn't "blossom" and the leaves look too big :((

looks like lilac to me too :O)

My first thought was Lilac too

Likewise, lilac - generally happy to be cut down by 1/2 to 2/3. Make sure you cut down to outward facing buds and remove any crossing or inward growing stems to avoid congestion. My father would chop ours down almost to the ground every few years and it always came back.

Thank you everyone. It looks like lilac from images on google!

Would you say to cut it down to half? I'm a novice gardener so where about would I cut it on the stem?

As there is young growth at the base, you can be fairly savage. I'd start by reducing the overall height to somewhere between 6ft and the guttering of the building - it would get rid of all the top greenery but would give much better view of what the stems are doing. Then cut out three or four of the thickest stems - open up the structure by cutting stems from the middle rather than the sides and make sure to leave the young growth (thin stems) at the base. If it was mine I would probably take out the two big branches/stems that are growing into each other in the top picture and the one on the right of the third pic, plus the thickest one that's left.
Cutting back in stages is easiest - removing the top growth that can be lopped off with a lopper will reduce the weight so that you can get into the thicker stems without them breaking as you saw through. (If you don't have a lopper use pruners but be prepared to have to make a lot more, smaller cuts)

Let the plant recover and then this time next year start looking at what shape you want and cut out stems/branches growing in the wrong direction.

Is that your grass verge? The bush looks to be very close to that wall and it might be worth digging down a bit to see whether you could get the rootball out without damaging it to move it away from the wall.

Oh thank you ever so much! Great advice. I'll be sure to do this and I'll even post a picture afterwards to show you all and see what you think :)

It is very close to the wall but from speaking with neighbours the plant has been there for a considerable time and will be well established under the ground, I don't want to risk it so I'll leave it where it is.

How can I add photos to this post?

Hi Jaypgm go to the blog on your list of blogs and you should find an edit button, then I think you will be able to add more pictures from there. Well I hope so.

I've managed to add two new photos to the top if the post. What does everyone think about the pruning?

It looks ok to me Jay, hopefully in a couple of years it will thicken up and produce lots more beautiful perfumed flowers for you. By the way what colour is it please? I got o h to chop one of mine back as it was in danger of dying if it didn't get a good lopping. This year the flowers on it were absolutely stunning two years since it was really lopped back so you might have to be patient.

That's looking better.

It's a lovely deep purple colour. It's beautiful when it's in bloom!

Thanks very much for everyone's help and advice.

I have another plant in another part of the garden with the same issue, need it identified and tips on pruning so stay tuned! Hopefully you can all assist with that one as well :)