Pamg if the is a Phalaenopsis check Spritzhenry's blog on orchids, in fact even if it isn't check her blog!

thanks Moongrower, a friend had it and it had finished flowering so I've rescued it as she didn't want to try to get it back flowering

Well if it is a phal. they are easy to re-flower... But I would not repot just do the usual sit it in water for an hour, remove and then leave until the roots are an extremely pale green

I didn't repot mine pamg..just watered it sparingly and gave it orchid feed fairly regularly. Now have a lovely spray

thank both , thats what i wanted to know, It will be interesting to see if I can keep it !

We've had ours for years

I'm a complete novice, under the pot are some roots that are dry, brown and dead with a bit going into the pot that looks as if its beginning to rot, the ones in the pot look a healthy green and three are making a bid for freedom over the rim at the top!--- is this all normal do you think?

cut off the dead roots coming out of the bottom and don't worry about the ones coming out of the top of the pot these orchids are epiphytic so it is natural for them to have roots coming out of the top of the pot. Don't keep in full sunshine and do mist occasionally - that said that is a bit of 'do as I say not as I do' we've got 2 sat on the kitchen window sill that get sun all morning and I rarely remember to mist them. Just don't ever let them sit with their feet in water.

thankyou so much Mg I don't feel quite such an ignoramus now :o)