Thanks very much everyone, it will soon be bonfire night, this year's theme is Kenyan Top Bar Hive with petrol
So I'll get the frames I need for the current nucleus, I'll look at manufacturer's seconds as a cheap alternative and starter kits.
What started out as a bit of using up old wood has actually spurred me on to get serious after years of thinking about keeping bees, into actually buying books, joining a forum and getting advice from experienced people, so it's not been too much of a waste.
Thanks very much for the advice, I'll start making my Christmas list.