Great stuff Hank. Pond advice, since you ask: Make a shelf along part of the edge the right depth for some baskets of marginals - about 6 to 9" should be OK.
Beware the roots of that monkey puzzle which you decided to keep though, I hope you dont regret it.

SG you just beat me to it. The Araucaria araucana Monkey Puzzle tree has the potential of around 40 feet high and a good root system to boot. You might have a problem if you try to re-site it now.

Thanks, guys. The monkey puzzle can come out whenever necessary - no problem. I have my hands full just now.

Cheers Hank, good on yer mate!!

your tadpole idea is good but frogs/toads only go in ponds to have young then they need some wear to live . its looking a bit sparse around your pond which wit some nice low ground covering plants and rocks will sort that out . when you get tadpoles in your pond they will turn into froglets etc and if they come out on a sunny day they could really struggle to get across that cement without drying out . also just get the spawn or tadpoles as the adults il just go back to wear they came from and maybe get squashed on the way .

the pond should only be 45 cm deep with sloping sides so the tadpoles can easily scramble out when they do grow. also plant lots of vegetation so the tadpoles can hide, some will be eaten by wrens others will hide ,its just creating a natural balance of the pond, also plant marginal plants to attract water loving insects since the tadpoles need something to eat! you may also want to add a muddy bank for swallows to build their nests and for other birds to access the water safely and easily.

Thanks very much guys, that's just what I wanted. I stepped into the hole today, slipped in the mud and fell out again flat on my back ! No problem however.

your welcome

If you have a shelf with baskets of marginals the froglets wil lbe able to get out there as long as they can get from the basket to the shore. Remember that they start to breathe air a while before they are ready to leave the pond.
they eat plant life when very young and then they start to be carnivores and eat each other , drowned flies etc.

There's more to this than meets the eye in this job, but I'm really enjoying myself doing it. I thought a pond was a pond was a pond but far from it. I find myself waking up early in the morning thinking about Shelves, slopes, marginals, mud banks not to mention the size of a liner which I must sort out very soon.

I've just had a thought here ( showing my ignorance again !) Do I need a liner ?

of course unless your going to cement it or get a ready made pond .

Oh dear, have just found a large frog and tiny little newt ( I presume ?) where I was digging in the pond-to-be. Have made him a little home in the bottom and have cancelled all work for today.
Not quite sure what I'm going to do about him/her tomorrow.

Thanks Nosey. Just one more Q if you don't mind - I'm now advised to use an old carpet as an underlay for the pond liner, does this sound ok ?

perfect and make it a man made carpet so it doesn't rot . the frog is either a female or maybe a toad . if it hops its a frog and if it walks its a toad . these finds are great it means someone has a pond nearby and there happy to overwinter in your garden . they need to get in some shelter like leaves and rocks,plants etc like wear you found them . id carry on with what your doing . they wont use it at all this year if at all but they mite . some frogs etc make the move on there own or they would never have survived this long . id still get a few tadpoles though . my mums pond has 2 frogs but there both female which is a shame . the common frog is only common bye name a bit like common sense lol .

ow as your pond is so small don't skimp on the liner . get the best you can get unless you want to be changing it in 5-10 years . the most vulnerable part of the liner is at the surfice as that's wear the ice and sun get to it . creeping jenny is brilliant around a pond as it grows in the soil and happily hangs in the water covering the liner .

Never thought of creeping jenny for that Nosy - what a good idea. Your "common sense" made me laugh. Hank if you want a bit send me a PM.

lol x sg

I've heard of Creeping Jenny - just, but haven't the faintest clue what it is or looks like. But it sounds perfect if it'll grow along the top in place of the ivy.
I'm almost certain to take you up on your offer Sue, thanks.
And I have a great friend who works in a carpet shop and will supply the carpet.
All I need now a bit of dry weather !

wow your very forward and acomedating stera . what about the creeping jenny lol .

To what our good friend Nosey refers I haven't a clue, Sue - Not what you and I were that's for sure !

You'll have to come over here for it Nosey!

Creeping jenny is Lysimachia mummularia hank, if you want to google it. Mine never looks a quarter as good as the ones in the pictures though. Not sure I'd have it to replace all the ivy though - a mix with something else would be more interesting - it can get rather scraggy looking in winter. Send me your address. I won't move it until spring though, you never know what the weather's going to do.