I can also highly recommend the SPI version, MCP23s17. especially as the set up of all eight chips on one CS line works very fast on polling loop, so no need to worry about dealing with interrupts and all the potential...
@RIchard, will get it in the post in the next day or two. Board is populated with everything other than the rotary encoders.
feel free to delete you address from above message, I have taken a copy.
all the best
@RichardFerraro - i stuck with 100nf capacitors. the circuit is fundamentally the same as the PCBoard used here: https://forum.pjrc.com/threads/64850-16-rgb-rotary-SPI-port-expander-panel-testers
I have one of those...