Plant them out this autumn Kev - hope they do well for you.

Yep, plant them now or during October.

Thanks Stera and Bamboo, their planting will go to the top of the to do list. Will it hurt to dig out the Dahlia that is in the area that the roses are going ?

Not sure whether you're asking if it will harm the dahlia or whether you mean will the dahlia's previous presence be a problem for the roses - the answer to the latter is no, not a problem, but as for the former, obviously you either need to replant the dahlia or store it over winter.

Just to try and clarify, the roses went into the pots due to the dahlia being in the ground. The question is about whether the roses can wait until the dahlia has been touched by frost, which technically sends them to sleep. Or if the roses really need planting now, will the dahlia suffer from being dug up while still in full flowering? ( due to the fact it was her most favourite summer flowers) Hope that makes a bit more sense of the original question?
Thanks for the input Bamboo Kev

Oh I see...well you could wait another couple of weeks to plant the roses in hopes of a frost, but of course there may not be one. You can, though, lift the dahlia now with topgrowth still intact, you just need to lay the tuber on its side on dry sand or newspaper out of the rain, let it all dry out and the topgrowth fall off naturally, before storing for the winter. Not everyone waits for there to be a frost before lifting them, sometimes they want to plant something for the winter instead, especially in pots or containers. And I'm sorry for your loss by the way; I suffered a similar bereavement in late spring myself, ain't easy, is it...

Thanks Bamboo, seems to make sense now, the winds here have battered the dahlia, so nature may supply me the solution and timing. Thanks for the thoughts too, it's a little strange, as we gardened together, so cannot bounce thoughts and ideas, like we did. Have good memories there though.
Cheers Kev

;-)