Hi and thank you both for your suggestions.

Yes, I pruned the old wood back as per instructions in my RHS book and that was done in the Spring.

As for bull finches. I do have a bird feeder very near the shrubs which has nuts in and I do get a lot of finches but sorry to say I don't know what a bull finch looks like. We have all the other type of finches though. I didn't know they would go for ther buds of the P. shrub. Will try moving the feeder.