I'd wait another week or so yet Pammie.

They can be planted under glass if you are in a hurry, as long as you use deep pots - large yogurt pots with holes punched in the base are ideal. If you really want to start a few in the ground you can make individual cloches for them out of old lemonade etc bottles.

Runner beans are much better planted straight into the soil, one of the differences between them a French climbing beans...

I have to say that I always start mine off in pots in the greenhouse. I sow them in succession so I get a constant supply of beans. In the past when I have sown them direct, I found that I had cut-worms attack the seed under the surface and slugs and snails as the shoots emerged.

thanks everyone for replying