G'day Helen,

"To me the word "remodelling" sounds too recent for GBS, although I haven't checked my dictionary for the timing of the word's usage."

Well, it is actually quite old enought. The OED has:

(My search was on "remodelling" but this under the basic form "remodel":) trans. To model again, reconstruct. (Common in 19th c.)

1789 Gen. Hist. in Ann. Reg. 9/2 That assembly was wholly incompetent to the task of re-modelling the constitution. 1830 Lytton P. Clifford xix, A stray trinket or two—not of sufficient worth to be re-set or re-modelled. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. i. I. 121 From the time when the army was remodelled to the time when it was disbanded. 1879 M. Pattison Milton 46 All traditions were being questioned, and all institutions were to be remodelled.

Regard(les)s,

Bob