Thanks for all of the advice and good wishes everyone! I've been away in LA, but now back home for two days so I have booked another 1 hour lesson.
I was a BA cadet and I also fly radio-controlled helicopters, so I am hoping I will be in a good position to achieve the minimum hours. However, at the end of the day, I am doing it as a hobby, so if it takes more, then so be it. (It would be nice not to find myself covering old ground due to discontinuity though). It sounds like I should try and have two lessons per week. I may even try two 1 hour sessions in one day, for occasions when I am a little sparing in days at home ;o) I just know that 2 hours in one go can lead to 'brain freeze', when learning something as intense as flying a helicopter!
Hopefully I will get my hands on all the reading material on Friday too.
GS.