Not a lot of progress the last week or so. Been stripping rough cast off wall which will be inside the garage and the new upstairs bedroom. It is a lot of work to save 20mm! It will however make jobs like fitting the walltie strip and cutting in floor joists easier.
Latest dicussion on insulation is a departure from the 100mm full cavity fill, building control were not too happy with it. The new system is 75mm insulation held against inside wall with a 25 mm gap to the outsidevwall. Down side is will need to use insulated plaster board to get full u value, so that will offset the 20mm gained by stripping the rough cast! Will revist the possibility of taking down the outside skin of the old wall at least in part in the new bed room.
photos below show current position. Todays work doesn't look much but the verticle dpc at the front between old and new is mostly cut, just waiting for a loan of Derek's saw, mine is a Sthill and cuts about 5mm short of a full brick! Also the 2 front corners are well up and some bricks are set on the outside wall to string between and fill in. I am reluctant to go much higher with the big long wall as I will need to put insulation in place. I cant do the insulation until I have filled the below ground cavity with concrete,  I cant fill till the ends of the wall are closed, I cant close them till the steel work is in. I wonder if I could just bash on and leave the wall ties hanging on the outer course and push the insulation over them? Only thing is it might be impossible to fit the retaning clips to keep it tight against the inner skin with only a 25mm gap!
oh and I am 10mm high at the back of the long wall, everone I have spoken to says that is nothing, but being me I am going to steal 1mm over the next 10 courses to get it right. chances are though once it settles the 10mm could come or go!

monday14april

Back from holidays and now the

proud owner of 4000 bricks and 700 blocks!

With some help from Barrie I got a cocourse of brick down. 

The driveway and half the back garden are full of bricks and blocks,  I now have to order the insulation for the 100 mm cavity,  have just realised it will take up same space as 4000 bricks! 

bricks and blocks in place

A good lot of bricks and blocks are now in place , thanks to much help from Tom and Barrie. 

Up to date state of play

a few days later

The bricks and blocks for the underbuilding arrived from Jewson. You might spot the schoolboy error in the picture below!

Got it? yes! That's 2 packs of 140mm dense concrete blocks

The fist one was swung off by thehiab and carefull placed at the end of thr drive, the driver asked where I wanted the next one. "Just stick it on top" I said, these things weigh in at 28kg each! Getting the top ones down is not a lot of fun!