Just a slight technical intervention to EDDNR.There are many places in UK where you can hear both sides of the VHF airband with a very basic radio.Without an external antenna too.Where I live for a start at 30nm from Manch I can hear a lot of stuff going on including the ground transmissions from EGCC.And nearly all the airway/radar stations in the north.
However it is not strictly legal to listen(there's a sticky in here somewhere about that)neverthess I agree that it does no harm to listen if only to get the feel for it.It helped me.