Be much easier if you posted a photo, Ken - indoor or outdoor plant? Flowering? height?

Coleus?

Tradescantia ? not sure of spelling !

could it be one of the large leafed oxalis?

also sounds like an indoor begonia..

Thanks everyone. It doesn't appear to be any of these so I'll sort out a photo and post it soon.

Thanks again for replies. It's the plant you can see in the photo.

Your avatar photo ?
Looks like a houseplant Ken ...... coleus or as Steve said a begonia.
Steve's more knowledgable than me so i'd go with his suggestion !

Yes!! Lucky guess! It's a coleus. :-)

Avatar is a brill film if you have not seen it yet Louise and well guessed Beattie ! Yes, it's a coleus and thanks again to all for helping solve the riddle. Just could not bring this up on the net no matter what I keyed in. I have this in a one metre long oblong tub with small pebbles covering the soil surface. There is one coleus at each end with a small red cordyline in the middle. It's quite a stunning combo and has attracted quite a few compliments, so I would recommend giving that display a try!!

It's a great plant for colour, pity it's not hardy. You could take some cuttings and keep them indoors over winter Ken

Thanks Beattie. Good idea. I will do that. I also found out that, when it seeds, you need to remove those otherwise the plant considers it's done it's job and dies young ! Perhaps ought to be re-named the "Celebrity Plant!"

The thing about seeding holds for most if not all annuals. They're only there to produce seeds, that's why you need to dead head to keep them flowering.