Sorry to bear bad news but in the north-east of England I've never known it to flower.

Where I used to work they had one that was kept in the greenhouse through the winter and brought out at the end of June. It never flowered.

It will need protection through the winter and then a warm protected place for the summer.

Hmm, difficult one without a greenhouse or conservatory. You need to find a cool, but frostfree, bright place to stand it over winter. Here in London, I have two planted outside in sheltered places, and they came through last winter just fine, flowered this year too, but where you are, I wouldn't risk leaving it outside over winter.

I bought one in flower last year, but this year it has bombed :( A couple of buds but no flower, the bottom leave's have been turning yellow for a week or two, I overwinter it my unheated greenhouse, i think ill leave it in there in summer too. I live in newcastle upon tyne.. At least your mum only paid £5.95, I paid £20 ! Sorry Scottish, the good news is, Its evergreen :)))) and who knows, you could have better luck than me...

TPG, thanks for your comments
Bamboo...I have access to an unheated greenhouse if I want it, would that do the job? If I brought it in the house, how bright must the room be? The rooms upstairs are the brightest but I don't want to be carrying it upstairs every year!
I can see this is going to be a pain in the neck, just like the Fucshia she had to have :)
Daisy thanks for the encouraging comments, I am not going to buy a greenhouse just for a £6 plant!!!!

Oh yea, I remember that fuchsia story, lol! If I were you, as it wasn't something you chose and it is going to be a bit of a pain every year, I'd leave it in an unheated greenhouse - it either makes it or it doesn't! Or if you want to resolve it more quickly, leave it outside in its pot, or plant it somewhere and if it doesn't make it, well, not your fault is it. Unless you're terribly attached to it, in which case, cart it upstairs;-))

I'll stick it beside the Fucshia and blame it on the weather. Won't be my fault then. Cheers x

Just leave it outside it will do fine.

(Feel free to blame me.)

That suits me TPG :) You know what mums are like :)

'Ere, hang on a minute, I'm a mum... but actually I probably am a pain in the proverbial too, lol!

I'm a mum too Bamboo....I think one day I will turn into her....signs are there already....lol!!

You can't win as a parent, you know - kids always think their parents are a pain one way or another - embarrassing cos they're conventional, embarrassing cos they're unconventional and so on.

Very true :)