Itea ilicifolia

Been in the garden since before we moved here and I've never looked up what it was before.

This classy shrub has many good qualities; light green leaves armed with prickly edges, long (up to 30cm, but usually less) catkins of scented, pale green flowers from mid- to late summer, and a fairly robust constitution. It's often grown against a wall, but a free-standing specimen makes an elegant sight. Plant it out of cold winds and in any reasonably fertile soil. It can reach 3m or more, but takes a good few years to get there.