Obs Cop,
Thanks for the diary, and please keep it coming. Takes me back to my IMCR training last autumn.
(I particularly enjoyed your reference, in your second hour, to the 'glideslop' {sic} - may be accurate as a description!)
Reference Holds, they certainly formed a goodly part of my training, both VOR and NDB holds, left and right. There was an element of being asked to fly a couple of holds in the examination, but I think that was for enjoyment, rather than as an integral part of the examination itself.
Good luck.