In message , Sacha
writes
On 2010-04-29 09:19:03 +0100, "Parrotfish" said:

"Ian B" wrote ...
The last of the legacy mysteries in my garden, is this shrub, or
bush, whichever is the correct term. It was quite big, but the
Council chap who chainsawed the berberis behind it to shreds also
laid into this bush, so it's only just growing back. None of my
dubious artistic skills this time, I discovered that my sister has
the ability to take "photographs" using a small device called a
"telephone" which she carries around with her and which can also be
used to speak to persons beyond earshot. Remarkable! Whatever next,
a carriage without horses?!
Here it is-
http://img99.imageshack.us/i/iansshrub2.jpg/
And here's a closeup of the foliage-
http://img52.imageshack.us/i/iansshrub.jpg/
I'll be most grateful if anyone can identify it!

I think it might be a Leycesteria (Himalayan Honeysuckle)
Google is your friend )

Could be but hard to tell without any flowers. I'm guessing at
Weigela or Deutzia, something of that sort but I agree that it's hard
to tell until it flowers. Woody stems and green leaf shaped leaves,
hmmmm! ;-)

Hollow stems however would cut down the alternatives by a fair degree.
We could also note the opposite, but not distichous, foliage, and the
venation pattern.

I think that this eliminates Leycesteria formosa (Pheasantberry), which
has the secondary veins making a greater angle with the midrib, an
elongated tip, and distichous foliage.

The swept forwards veins are reminiscent of Cornus
alba/sanguinea/sericea, but the habit doesn't seem a match.

Both Weigela (florida), and especially Deutzia (scabra), seem plausible.
Google tells me that Deutzia has hollow stems. The Flora of China
describes the leaves of Deutzia crenata (apparently the same as Deutzia
scabra) as

"Petiole 3–8 mm; leaf blade abaxially green, ovate or
ovate-lanceolate, 5–8 × 1–3 cm, papery, abaxially sparsely
10–15-rayed stellate hairy, indumentum discontinuous, hairs along
veins usually with central rays, adaxially sparsely 4- or 5-rayed
stellate hairy, veins in 3–5 pairs, base rounded or broadly cuneate,
margin serrulate and slightly revolute, apex acuminate or abruptly so."

The draft Flora of North America treatment says

"petiole 1–3 mm, sparsely to densely stellate-pubescent; blade
ovate-lanceolate to ovate, 30–80 × 15–50 mm, base rounded or
broadly cuneate, margins crenate-denticulate, apex acute to acuminate,
abaxial surface light green, densely stellate-pubescent (trichomes
10–20-rayed), adaxial dark green, stellate-pubescent (trichomes
4–6-rayed)."
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley