Hi Papa Charlie,
I know what you mean. Last weekend was the first flight I've had since my GFT in October 2001
In the run up to the check ride I revised everything I'd learned during the PPL course and thought I'm bound to forget the correct procedure for a PFL or muck up a glide approach because I haven't got the speed right etc.
But as you say the minute we were airborne it all came back!! I was a bit rusty on maintaining altitude and did take a couple of goes at getting the approach right on the PFL but everything else went just fine!