Lance,
Another thing to bear in mind if doing the training during the winter months is whether your home airfield has an instrument approach or not.
If your home airfield doesn't have an instrument approach (EGTB, where I'm based doesn't) then quite often when the weather is suitable for real IMC flying you won't be able to get back home. I once had to cancel my IMC renewal because although the weather was above minima at Luton, there was no way we could get back into Wycombe.
Brooklands