looks like it might be a sorbus or rowan going by what looks like a flower bud unfurling in the leaf

Is the brown cover of the leaf/flower sticky? In which case it could be horse chestnut.

Well whilst I can't tell you what it is, other than agree with Bulba and Snoop, if definitely isn't a laburnum!

No, and not sticky either.

OK, that leaves Sbg with the best suggestion so far. It just looked sticky.

Yes, perhaps a kind of Acer......not a Japanese obviously...but we won't have much longer to wait to find out now....assuming we can ID it once the leaves emerge! ;)

sycamore buds tend to be 'wrapped' like mummy wrappings if you can visualise what I mean and these didn't look like that at the time of first viewing.

I've been doing some searching.....and I'm wondering....Sorbus aria?

http://www.barcham.co.uk/trees/sorbus-aria-lutescens-whitebeam

thought sorbus initially, will wait with interest.

I have one of those, and acuparia, the rowan......will look later on I have to go out this morning, the aria is a big tree.......

Just had a look at next door's rowan - very similar, especially the smooth shiny bark on the stem. But those buds look as though they contain flower buds and its a bit early for rowan flowers - won't be long before we know now anyway. .

Mine are on show as the buds unfurl. I think I posted a photo.

:)

Just been over to the trees, my rowans are slightly more open than the photo but so similar, whilst the S. aria is a much bigger tree and branches not so similar, more silvery I would say, hope it helps x

Thank you Pam....won't be long now!