I joined the PPL/IR for Europe group - they had several tips to help
www.pplir.org
This entailed writing to srg in the CAA, with the response that there are only two PPL/IR courses in the UK - London Guildhall and PPSC. PPSC suited me better (I didn't work in London then), and they required a letter from the CAA before I could sign up. This was last year, and I sat the writtens in September (passing thank heavens)
For the flight training, the AIC giving a 12 hour credit for an IMC rating is still valid (but runs out either this June or June next year), and 'only' 50 hours is required for a single engine course.
Of course, all this is for the 'approved' scheme, and there was/is an alternative for those with more than 700 hours or military experience - but these are changing with JAA - for those interested/affected, make sure you read the requirements carefully. One thing I had to get cleared up in respect of the training reduction for the IMC was the validity of the latter - my IMC rating was due to expire before I sat the IRT. To claim the reduction, I had to revalidate the IMC (not a problem as it turned out, it coincided with the progress check flight with the CFI of the FTO I was training for the IR with) In any case, to claim the reduction the IMC rating has to have been valid from the start to the end of the IR training, and current when the training was being received.
All this said, certainly when the time comes to change aircraft, I will be looking thoroughly at the FAA/N reg. situation, as with -6/-5 eyesight, I will never get a class 1 medical which bars me from commercial flying.
