You're right in that the average hours for a PPL(H) are 60-70 hours so look at the price comparisons. Yes, the R22 is a twitchy little fella and if you are of a "substantial" frame, may not suit you at all but, you could afford 80 hours in an R22 compared with around 50 in an R44.
Actually, if you're over 16 stone, you won't be able to fly the R22 due to seat liimitations.
The R44 is a nicer machine to fly but is conserably more expensive. Personally, I recommend learning in a Schweizer but I don't think there are any local to you.
Whatever you decide, have a search on the Rotorheads Forum - you'll find a wealth of information on training there.
Cheers
Whirls