Patience - runner beans sometimes start with a few flowers which abort. They need plenty of water and some say that spraying the flowers helps pollination but I can't say if this is true. Also what is the temperature down there at the moment? If it's too hot they might also abort.

Temperature still ok at the moment, it's 22c today and has been around that for a few weeks

Ha ha - it's been warmer here the last week! In that case just patience ;-)

Tell me about it, Corfu's weather has been very odd so far this summer, my mum is in the south west as well so had to listen to her crowing about how nice it is!! :o)

The beans have started :o)

There you go - patience paid off. Enjoy the taste of home.

My late mother-in-law said that was caused by planting in the sign of the flower. She followed the Farmers Almanac like it was scripture.

Glad your beans are forming.
Juanita

In my experience of 3 years of growing Runners I observed that earlier flowers failed to produce beans. When plant reached the height above 2 feet or more it started producing beans.Of course this is one gardener's experience.