My leg is much better today. Still a bit ugly around the actual bite, but my leg is much less red and swollen, and doesnt itch as much. I'm able to walk normally again :)

So we should be able to finish the blockwork tomorrow, after going to Travis Perkins to buy some bricks (and Pearman Briggs to buy some gas for the caravan), provided the weather is ok - and the forecast looks ok at the moment. We should also be able to remove some more of the topsoil, possibly the kitchen, to add to the bathroom we did the other day.

The first course of bricks will be mostly below ground, so the first mortar course isnt important in terms of pointing and colour, so we can start laying some bricks if that takes our fancy instead of digging - which is very hard work and very tedius (a point I may have mentioned before when we were digging the foundations?). However we cant start laying the second course of bricks until we sort a couple of things out:

1. The colour of the mortar, ie the quantity of dye to add to the mix. This will be gauged by looking at 1 or 2 trial panels which we might also build this weekend (9 or so bricks each, on a paving slab or similar as a base. Emma will, no doubt, try to convince me to lay these trial panels in the shape of a barbeque - I will, no doubt, not bother.
2. Order the reinforcement, from BRC, which will tie the outer and inner bricks together. This is needed because we're not laying a typical 'English' bond brick wall, we're laying the bricks in 'stack' bond. You can Google that if you're impatient - otherwise wait til we start to do it and I'll take some pictures.