In article ,
stuart noble wrote:

The B&Q own brand Soil Improver is sharp sand!
I regard vermiculite as the only permanent improver because it's a one
off application that changes the structure forever

OP here Hmm - interesting Stuart, but that will surely change the
appearance of the soil too?

Thank you to all for the suggestions and advice. I'll survey the
different options in local garden suppliers, then do a Ph test when we
get to the garden, then shop locally for a suitable supply.

......
Amused to read the exchanges between Jake and David: the garden is near
Hull (and I'm c.150 miles away). The email address I use for Usenet is
the 2nd-most ancient one I possess; I created it when Hotmail was
new-ish, in order to (a) experiment with those new-fangled commercial
email systems and (b) to use as a spam diverter when appropriate
(Usenet used to be a major source for spammers).

J.