Maz,
Good report.
this must sound very sad to all you experienced guys, but I am sure it takes you back when you were in the same situation
Doesn't sound at all sad! It does indeed take me back to my very first radio call during an early lesson, when my instructor asked me to say "G-XXXX is five miles North for rejoin". He had to tell me about three times, and it was probably the hardest radio call I ever made. Your thread reminded me that little and often is the way to go for radio use; not all instructors get you to use the radio that early on, and it sounds like yours is a good 'un.
it was a pretty hazy day, wasn't it. Still, probably less crowded than yesterday, when I tried to get into the Liverpool Zone with a student, and had to give up after standing by for nearly ten minutes, during which the poor ATCO on Liverpool Approach hadn't stopped talking!
Keep up the flying and the writing.