Booker/Wycombe is a great place to learn in that you will be gently lowered into the deep end. The ATC is first class, the airspace is very busy, the ground crews are a great bunch of blokes and the airfield has both grass and tarmac surfaces. The traffic can get quite busy with three circuits (a/c, helicopter and non-radio glider/tugs) but would you feel safer having learned to drive in the middle of Reading or on the Isle of Wight ? Learning in a busy environment will make your trips to other airfields much less daunting.
I'm learning on the Warriors at Booker (you know which school that is !) and they are absolutely first class. The instructors have very different styles however I am happy to fly with any of them. The aircraft are maintained to the highest standard by a team led by an ex-Halton chap who will happily give you a tour of the workshop if he is not too busy.
The instructors are running a series of weekly lectures to get you through the ground school and for ten quid a night, it is good value. They are also a good way to buddy-up with students at different stages and swap notes on the better books, study aids etc. The students are a good mix of ages and abilities but I am a bit biased !
The school is running a number of very interesting trips this year and I managed to get into the "goldfish bowl" at the top of the Heathrow ATC tower a few weeks back. Absolutely amazing.
The clubhouse is not cheap but then again, I have not caught anything either
I only live a few miles away from you so PM me if you would like a chat offline.