is it some kind of thistle ?

Looks like the wild fore-runner of Heuchera?

It looks to me like a Macleaya microcarpa, Coral plume. That's if it is between 3 and 6 feet tall. They self seed everywhere in my garden. They have an extremely long tap root and this is the way they can stay up in even the worst winds we get here.

thanks for your comments on the identity of my plant although i don't think we've cracked it yet. this plant is about 8 to 10 feet tall and spread, it has leaves the size of dinner plates and if you break a stem or leaf it has orange coloured fluid that stains your hands. anyone else seen one like this ?

no never . there quit nice looking thow .

Definately Macleaya probably not microcarpa, The sap needs to be washed off thoroughly to get the colouration off skin and if I remember correctly it is poisonous but not an irritant. It self seeds everywhere. and next year if you don't remove the seed heads it will be knocking on your door. It is obviously very much at home to reach those heights, but being that tall is not unknown. The shape of the leaf is right, the colour and form of the self fertile flowers is right. But what swayed me was the sap.
I have it in my garden and spreads itself about quite a bit in one of the borders.

thank you for that information, macleaya it is. i looked it up and you're quite right. There does seem to be several varieties. i read that one of them is also called the healing plant, you can make a cure for ringworm and a good insect repellent

thanks again