So after 6 months of delay due to one shoddy bricklayer and another one who was shoddy with a massive 'I'm the best' ego, it is finally third time lucky and the two guys we waited 6 weeks to start, take pride in their work and are really approachable when you want to ask a question or raise an issue.  Just how it should be.

Being behind is a pain though, as it will mean I will be cutting the roof and installing the standing seam roofing most likely in November.  But so long as it doesn't get too wet, it might be ok.

Here are a few photos.  I made a jig up to cut the insulation at the angle of the cavity tray and I was chuffed how it turned out.  A rather laborious task though, but I said I would get the trays and insulation all ready for them

I also knocked up probably 12 different mixes over the last few months.  We tried 5 different sands, grey cement, white cement and lime ...., but non of them really worked and they were either too grey or too yellow, but we kept searching and finally found a local firm in Thatcham who had some sand from a quarry a long distance away.  The colour looked like it would work and as soon as I mixed up the 5 sand, 1 white cement and 1 lime mix, we both said "that's it".  Sand cost us about £90/ton, which is not cheap, but I didn't want to be looking at the house thinking "I don't like the mortar colour".   Here are a few pictures of progress from the last two weeks.