As I don’t like topics without endings, and threads without answers, I can finally say, today I signed up at Cotswold Aero Club. I met some nice people there today, all seem very knowledgeable but not in an intimidating manner. Thanks for all of your comments but especially to @SteveN, @Norman, @stevelup (and @Peter for his food humour 
).
I also took a drive out to Kemble for a look around a couple of days ago, in fact I drove all around this previous-RAF airfield, which was interesting in itself, but the famous cafe (AV8) is completely closed for renovation, which is a shame because I wanted to take a picture of the ADB for @Peter lol. There weren’t many other people around though, but I did spy a nice looking 1980s Lotus Esprit Turbo in the car park! (I love cars AND planes…) Still… the traffic from Cheltenham was murder. I decided on that basis alone I wouldn’t join a club there.
So CAC it is, and I now need to read Peter’s thread about “Are clubs killing GA”… to see what I’ve gotten myself into. Anyway, I think my application should be processed in a couple of days and I should be able to go up for a ride with an instructor to ‘learn the ropes’.
Thanks all.
Bosco wrote:
And go to Cornwall, the Channel Islands and Scotland.
I can’t speak of the Isles Anglo-normandes or Cornwall, but for God’s sake avoid Scotland at all costs. We have appalling weather all year round (see photo) and dreadfully congested airspace. In large tracts of the country, the Class G ceiling is as low as 19,500 ft. The midges are merciless and the Scotch natives (when not drinking their eponymous sort of brown turpentine) catch millions of the blood-gorged critters to make a kind of sausage – then they will try to tempt you to eat it by claiming that it’s made out of sheeps’ entrails. As if….
Coda wrote:
As I don’t like topics without endings, and threads without answers, I can finally say, today I signed up at Cotswold Aero Club. I met some nice people there today, all seem very knowledgeable but not in an intimidating manner. Thanks for all of your comments but especially to @SteveN, @Norman, @stevelup (and @Peter for his food humour ).
Gloucester is a great airfield. Good decision.
@Jacko lol, you got me going there for about 2.5 seconds 
I can’t wait to visit Scotland, and if I can’t get there by a/c I’m coming by car anyhow. It’s just too beautiful a country not to spend some time in, and the people are really great IMO.
@JasonC yes it looks like it. Although I do wish they’d kept the name “Staverton” instead of changing it to “Gloucestershire”. I guess it was good decision for business though.
Coda wrote:
Although I do wish they’d kept the name “Staverton” instead of changing it to “Gloucestershire”. I guess it was good decision for business though.
I would bet if there was a direct train to London it would be called “Staverton-London airport”
Personally, I can’t think of a better airfield that has everything for business/touring/recreational GA on that price/convenience tag, including first class ATC, nice food and car rentals, hopefully you will enjoy it
I landed there in gliders, tmgs and seps always a warm welcome !
