MM, if you decide on Shenington, hope to see you there! Like most gliding clubs that operate 7 days a week, during the week we have professional staff, Derek or Dick, and Kath who is the winch driver. Weekends you will find we all take turns on a rota, helping out. Paul the Farmer, who owns the airfield keeps a fatherly eye on us, he has a rare sense of humor.
We do the training, using a K21 or K13, mostly winch launching, but aerotows are available. There is a ridge quite near (the airfield was known during WWII as RAF Edgehill, and the Whittle Jet was test flown there.) One intrepid pilot flew his 5 hour silver endurance flight on our ridge in February! Brrrr!
Not much problem with airspace, a usual first cross country of 50k might be planned to Husbands Bosworth, or to Aston Down. Winch launch for a club member costs £7.
Mary