Yes, it is gorgeous (in perfect conditions) but ephemeral (3weeks tops - fries in sun, goes brown in rain) and a bit of a shy bloomer. True, there are similarities to MGS, even down to the stiffly angular growth habit and fat heps (lacks the fragrance though) and, as you have space, it might be worth a punt. I have the deeper pink, but equally glorious Meg on the allotment - another fleeting beauty but sometimes, their rare elusive beauty is what makes these blooms very precious. Relatively healthy too.

Camps, do go on! Suggest a few! I got Mme Gregoire based on your recommendation and I can see judging from what it gave me its first year and the growth it is now exhibiting as it's entering its third, that I will not regret it at all!

Have a look at r.willmottiae - a very beautiful single which has good drought resistance, lovely foliage (almost pimpinella like) and lots of little orange heps. I also like the single nootka rose, r.nutkana - although the semi--double semi-plena is equally lovely). I have seen pics of a pale pink r.californica which I find myself craving - might be easier to source in Europe. R.webbiana is another cinnamoneae which does not sucker widely and finally, r.lucida (r.virginiana) is a much loved hedging rose and can be bought very cheaply indeed from hedging nurseries such as Buckinghams.

Why not push the boat out with laevigata - would probably be evergreen for you and there are a couple of pink varieties - Anemone and Ramona. I am tempted to try them in a sheltered part of the wood as they have good tolerance to shade and dry soil.

Just as Camps almost convinced me to look elsewhere, here comes the oldrosarian with praise and THOSE pics..... salivating again! (although the PNW couldn't be further from my climate). Anybody growing this in Cal?

I like Campanula's suggestion of Meg. This is another once blooming, large flowers, with a few later type climber. Meg throws up tall canes but in my garden, not many. They need to be disciplined when young or later very hard to bend. Again, careful where you buy it. The shading is the beauty of this rose.

Wow, another rose to put on the short list. Why is it that the loveliest of blooms are mostly produced by once bloomers? I think it has to do with breeding decisions breeders made just before WWII... Or is it just my eyes?

Oh you should try Cupid - if you were short of space, there are better roses but for the period of time when it is in flush, each bloom is gorgeous (and enormous). 6 weeks though - maybe our East Anglian winds are just a bit too unkind for this. Mind, Meg doesn't last that long either - another blink and you miss it...but then, a lot of mine are, especially if you grow species roses, 3 weeks could be considered quite reasonable. After all, I have a couple of paeonies which are blooming for a fortnight (delavayii lutea...but the foliage is a consolation.

Here is a (terrible) pic of Meg lolling against the redcurrant nets

It occurs to me that the heavy-duty armature and once blooming habit of these large climbers offer up a perfect opportunity to add in a few companion climbers. As well as the ever popular clematis, Meg is sturdy enough to support trachelospermum, schisandra chinensis, sollya heterophylla, eccremocarpus scaber, or even plumbago capensis...or ring the changes with annual climbers such as mina lobata, maurandya, sweet peas, cobaea scandens, lablab or rhodochiton atrosanguineas

Camps, of the above climbers I only have personal experience of trachelospermum and plumbago and I can safely say that, in my climate, if given half a chance, the first can easily choke a large rose and the second can most probably overshadow it. I wouldn't recommend these two (in a climate similar to mine).

Another mostly once blooming large flowered climber that has attracted my attention is Paul's Lemon Pillar. This is reportedly one of the parents of Meg. Itself seems to be the offspring of Marachel Niel and Frau Karl Druschki (which is herself a parent of Mrs. Herbert Stevens the other being the elusive Niphetos.).. I'm contemplating acquiring, at some point, all this extended family, as I currently own both Mrs H and the marshal.

Yes, this can be a very good rose (although I don't care for petals which reflex to points - the so-called classical rose shape). A very stiff thing which is, unsurprisingly, well suited for a pillar.

Talking of stiff, the Jasmina which stands, unsupported and unruly, has just burst into an absolutely massive autumn flush which far outstrips the puny summer cycle - the dire chill and rain which set us all back a month had a part to play in the summer failure but it is making up for it now. I will have to hack it to the ground though, as it has become a vicious tangle of chaotic canes, not amenable to tying in or training anywhere. The possibility of the entire edifice coming down in an East Anglian blow is now very high indeed.

Trachelospermum is a spindly little thing in our climate (I also grow various solanums which have long, but light branches and have possibilities with a sturdy rose...but probs not for you, Nik.

Plumbago is a strictly greenhouse plant.

I like to get double value out of my plants but mainly because of diminished space - probably not so pressing now.