Clacton is fun for flying and the instructors are all pretty good (flew with all of them). The a/c are a bit knackered cosmetically, and quite old but they are mechanically sound. Would recommend 172 as it has better nav fit and is less of a squeeze.
As stated the strip has a crosswind a lot of the time and is fairly short, so builds good flying skills. Good fun approaching over the beach
They have their own mx facility on site for any snags and some of the instructors are also mechanics so the a/c are treated well.
Clubhouse is a bit basic but has all you need, girls behind the desk are friendly, the chief pilot can be a bit of an arse but he is skilled and experienced. You can walk into Clacton which is a bit of a dump in a charming sort of way, lots of good places to eat.