Thanks for the offer of help but I'm slowly clawing my way out of the abyss. The weeds are proving less of a problem than I made out. I spent two hours this afternoon working my way along the back border and it's almost clear. Of course it's a bit like the Forth rail bridge so as soon as I've finished I need to start all over again. The main thing is I know I can beat this if I'm prepared to put the time in and as long as my knees and back don't crack up. Couple of hours at a time is the way to beat it. Love to all, Steve xx