Couple of questions - it doesn't seem to have any prickly bits or thorns, were there any? And how tall and wide was the whole plant, as well as, was it wider than it was tall, with branches that generally droop downwards?

The honest answer is I can't quite remember! My memory of it is that it wasn't prickly and was more like a large shrub, roughly same height as wide, perhaps about 3-4 ft. The branches did droop. If I go past the same place again I can check out the details but not sure when that will be. Sorry to be vague. It was in a park rather than open countryside.

I keep looking and think its Escallonia or Gaultheria but not sure.

At 3-4ft I think it could be a cotoneaster but I have no idea which one. The berries in bunches look right and the leaves changing colour also fits cotoneaster. It will be an evergreen if I am correct.

I don't think its one of the Cotoneasters - there are leaves in the upper half on the right which are still green, and its clear they're toothed at the edges, Cotoneaster doesn't have toothed leaves - the leaves also look a little soft for Cotoneaster. The redness appearing in the leaves towards the front possibly indicates its deciduous - that coloration will be a response to colder weather. I can't work out what it is, other than observing the berries have that slightly waxy, opaque look like honeysuckles do... for all we know, the berries turn black eventually anyway.

Maybe pyracantha coccinea Red column.