Unfortunately I never got to solo the Bulldog as it was only AEF flying. Having done these hours as a cadet was definately a great help towards the PPL for a few reasons. Mainly, it helped me realise that I do actually love flying, because some people say they love it, but until they have tried it they would never know. It also helped me because each flight was more than just drilling holes in the sky. We learned all about basic handling, even performed take off's and landings. Aero's were cool too, learning how to do them was excellent.
With regards to the medical, I had to wait until I got the optometrist to sign the form (it was something which the CAA legally required) so once I had this done and the AME had it, he issued the cert.
Thanks all
Lee