Dave Hill wrote:
Thinking about it, if you want a climber then
Lonicera henryi is an evergreen honeysuckle with glossy foliage and
golden-orange flowers
I've got it growing up into an oak tree, I've had up to 16 ft of
growth in a season,

Thanks, Dave, for that suggestion. Have looked it up at:

http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plan...h_submit_y%3D0

The site says Henryi is "Tender in frost (H3), Hardy (H4)", so it's
hardiness is as good as the Halliana but the "Tender in frost is
worrying", given that we get a lot of frosts here.

Hmmm. If only there was a swiftly climbing rhododendron. There isn't
such a thing is there? When the dozen or so young rhodies were covered
in snow and ice here for almost the two months of November and December
(last) I really didn't think they would survive . . . but there was no
damage to their leaves whatsoever. Everything other evergreen in the
garden suffered except the rhodies and the saxafrage, saponia, certain
conifers, ova ursii, a number of cactus-like alpines.

Eddy.