The snag is there'll be noggins - horizontal wood - between the studs,
probably two, and maybe three. These are to add rigidity to the wall and
prevent the studs warping which would show by pulling the clouts out of
the plasterboard.

WOW!

Thanks Dave, you really have found the first upside to a house built by a
current-day "what-we-can-get-away-with" builder: they only put one noggin in
per section when the built the internal walls upstairs!!!

So, only one big plasterboard square badly cut out and covered for me
then...

Now, where is that drum of CAT5e and my best swiss army knife saw blade...
plasterboard here we come ;-)

Paul.