You might want to take your question to the Hot Peppers forum which is very active. Several folks there use the 5-1-1 mix that is discussed in this forum. It is pine bark fines, peat moss and perlite. There was a long discussion about finding the ingredients that you might find helpful. It's linked below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Help me prepare the 5.1.1 the easy way

I did do (link below) and they sent me here said because I was using containers and lime that the container section would suggest how to use lime properly

Here is a link that might be useful: pepper

Margowicz: I am sorry to send you back to where you came from. I suspect your reference to John Innes No. 2 and loam threw some of us off. In the states we don't usually consider loam (garden soil, here) acceptable for use in containers, and only those of us who have been reading old garden books from the UK are likely to know what John Innes is. (I know enough about it to think it would be comparable to good quality potting mix and an acceptable choice to use right out of the bag, with no additives.)

One of the most popular mixes for growing vegetables in containers on this forum is called 5-1-1. It isn't sold in stores and must be made from scratch from 5 parts pine bark fines (or milled pine bark), 1 part coarse perlite and 1 part sphagnum peat. We add dolomitic lime to it for the calcium and magnesium as well as the affect it has on raising the pH. (You put the lime in the mix and leave it there. There is no taking it back out later.) Some people add a controlled release fertilizer to the mix while others just rely on using a regular fertilizer according to package directions.

If you are interested in learning more about this mix, please read the discussion I link to below. It's long, but if you will take the time to read the whole first section, many of your questions will be answered.

Here is a link that might be useful: Container Soils - Water Movement and Retention XVI

it hard for me to get the pine chips I could get the pete off amazon here in uk we ain't got the same as our trans atlantic friends chips I can get are in the link below... would these be ok by any chance?

Thanks for the help.

Here is a link that might be useful: chips

or any these? these seam a bit better

Here is a link that might be useful: chips2

The second link took me to a site that sells pine bark extract as a nutritional supplement! You really need to go to the store and look at the size of the pine bark chips. They should be less than a centimeter in diameter. Or, do your own search on the Amazon UK site. I found pine bark mulch there. It could be what you want.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pine Bark Mulch

link below I got down tomorrow for it and thank you for the advice.

I got nothing to refer to I thought JI no.2 was the better stuff around here lol

Here is a link that might be useful: chips