Phil
Have also been brushing up after a bit of a lay-off.
All the above is good - reading the book, listening to others (a bit frustrating though - can't always get both ends of the conversation)
Then booked 2 trips with an instructor - he chose the destinations, both through 3 or 4 different controllers, me doing the radio, he to prompt if necessary.
Then a trip with a new flying partner - one leg flying, one leg radio/nav.
Then a solo trip to Coventry and back (eventful, but my phraseology was very acceptable)
Made a point of revising the bookwork between each trip to reinforce the weak spots.
I still need practice, but now I feel better about it.
SD