What happened to my peas and where do I go from here?

[handlemecarefully]

Planted at intervals between April and June.
Good first crop around June / July time. Plants looked green verdant and healthy

In last 5-6 weeks the pea plants which were beginning to flower again developed a white powdery film / dust all over leaves etc. Plants then withered, went brown, shrivelled and died.

What was this? Was it leaf mould? I read somewhere that this flourishes in dry conditions (? come again, it's been pouring with rain this summer)

...and can I plant beans in this plot next year?

Mine get this every year and think it is powdery mildew. It gets on my cougettes and roses too. The weather does not seem to make any difference. It's a pain because I never get the extended crop just the first few plantings.

Try burning or throwing them away (not composting) to reduce the chances of spreading. I think you can buy a spray if you are not organic.
HTH

Thanks callme - I have thrown them out rather than composting because I was worried about spread. Am organic so spray is not for me.

Do you think the bed will be okay for planting next spring with no further action (beans not peas)?

yeah they always get that in the summer. My broad beans were the same, I got them in too late. Unavoidable.

Start sowing earlier, and maybe even in Autumn in UK.