Thanks to Rob G and Sacha for your replies. It was called it Aloe vera, when
I bought it in a charity shop, which obviously isn't right. I make handcream
for my family and chop a bit of the leaf off and squeeze it into the
mixture. It's great for so many things, but hacking bits off doesn't improve
the appearance of the plant. You'll all make a gardener of me yet. Thanks
again everyone.
Regards
D
She of the black thumb