They are impatiens and yes they grow and flower profusely all summer. In fact they are a very tender perennial. The kicker is though that they are a shade plant and won't do well in a sunny place but will flourish in a shady place

thanks betsy!

thanks dowlinggram!

I can't tell from your photos, but the most common kind of bedding Impatiens (I. walleriana) is effected by a fungal disease, downy mildew, in the US, and it has at least been present in the UK according to this article. You may find other articles about downy mildew that tell you more about how much of a problem it currently might be for you, but it isn't recommended here in many parts of the US last I checked.

Happily, New Guinea impatiens, Impatiens × hawkeri, isn't bothered by it. It has similar flowers and is more sun tolerant.

Yes, that's correct. A lot of Parks depts stopped growing them due to the fungal disease, strange though, they seemed to do alright in hanging baskets. Perhaps due to the better flow of air they would receive high off of the ground.

Impatiens Downy Mildew (IDM) was first identified in England, I believe, a year or so ahead of North America. It's well established in Britain and Europe as well as anywhere else where Impatiens walleriana is popular.