I garden on London clay and find the following good in shade/semi-shade:
Cotoneaster horizontalis, C. microphylla, C. lacteus (flowers spring,
berries winter/autumn.)
Ilex varieties (some variegated), spring flowers followed by berries.
Chaenomeles (semi-shade only), ----------"----------------------.
Pyracantha (smaller forms) -----------"----------------------.
Skimmia -----------"----------------------
..
Berberis (--"--)!
Mahonia (--"--)
Viburnums (evergreen and deciduous), varying flower times, some with
berries.
Also, evergreens that will give a long flowering season:
Hypericum 'Hidcote'; (hardy) Hebes.
Also, Euonymus 'Silver Queen': evergreen, insignificant flowers, but quietly
glows all winter (reliable variegation).
Also, some larger hardy Fuchsias. A few are semi-evergreen, but mostly
deciduous. Try magellanica forms, or 'Ricartonii'. I grow Mrs.Popple - no
winter season, but flowers reliably in semi-shade.
Hope this helps.
Spider

Ray wrote in message
...
....a medium sized shrub with year round interest to go into a semi
shade/shady position which also suffers from a clay soil. Impossible ask?

TIA

Ray