After lots of research and looking at plastering DVD's, I'm finally plucking up the courage to get started on plastering. Trouble is that none of the DVD's I have seen show anybody dotting and dabbing.

Are there any important tips I need? Or is it just a question of PVA'ing the walls, spodging on the adhesive, and shoving the boards up against it?

I am just a trifle concerned that I might whurl through 3 or 4 rooms only to find someone saying, "blimey mate you should have done X oy Y", and find it all coming apart in a few weeks/months.

Or am I being over cautious? Cheers.

I'm no expert in dot'n'dab but your not far off. Just make sure your even with you're adhesive and that your boards are straight - especially the first - and that they are all level.

Just in case you haven't seen UHM's instructions click here

when you offer up the p/b make sure there is some adhesive near the edge of the board all the way up, put more on than less if your unsure how much per board.
use a straight edge (feather edge) to bang on boards to make them flat, check with a spirt level, make sure in each corner it is square,
leave a 1mm gap in between each board or a p/b nail width.
If its brick or block no need to pva just stick on glue, its great stuff, sticky, if its a little dusty just wet the wall a little.
take your time and just mix enough stuff for 1 wall at a time, most important make sure everything is level,flat and square and you'll be fine
Hope that helps Edz

Thanks for the info guys. I did a couple of rooms at the weekend and was well impressed with the results.

On a couple of corners where the walls run out I have some gaps (10mm or so) tapering down to nothing. Should I scrim these and let the multi finish take them up? Or should I swidge in a bit of bonding plaster while I have some mixed to fit the angle bead to the reveals, then scrim?

I'd put a bit of bonding in to be sure

Thanks. Will do.