where in the world are you Barryk1? are there any leaves to show us and what height is it. It looks tall.

What do the flowers look like when they are out or is the first year you have seen it?

sorry about all the questions.

Thanks for the reply. Nowhere exotic - West Sussex! It is about 4 feet tall, is very thin, stands upright without any support but has also twisted itself around other plants/shrubs. No leaves as yet and no flowers. For some reason I thought it might be Deadly Nightshade (or a Triffid!).

Barry

Wow - How interesting is that! Can't wait to see some identification. Cannot even begin to imagine what it is.

not any nightshade that I know, so thats out. The flower looks like a bluebell type thing. the closet wild flower I can find is a 2ft blue lobelia but that doesnt fit as it flowers august.

I am intrigued.

Garden escapee or something planted by a neighbour in the past.

Does it have any vegetation down at the bottom, Barry? The flower bud looks a bit like a camassia, bit mine point up, not down, and the leaflets sitting on the stem look wrong for that. Plus it's much bigger.....
A shoot from a wisteria somewhere nearby?
Another photo when the flower buds open should help.

Certainly not deadly nightshade, but don't relax too soon - I would stand well back because it looks about ready to strike!

Reminds me of wisteria flower buds...

I thought of wisteria too Bamboo, but it isn't usually that rampant - is it?

It can be, Beattie - it can sneak out long runners along the backs of borders and then pop its head out much further away, but you usually notice it because of the amount of leaf that arrives as the season goes on. I'd like to see a pic of that flower when its open though - it also reminds of asparagus, except for the blueish tinge, that is...

Hi to everyone who commented. I took a specimen to a local horticultural centre and they confirmed that it was "black bindweed". We are infested with it so ... to work tomorrow!

Thanks again.

Well now I'm really puzzled - this photograph looks nothing like Fallopia (black bindweed) and its only an annual anyway...