Hi JetBreeze,
I did my initial training at Westair before doing the remainder of my PPL and Night Rating in South Africa (no reflection on the school - I simply can't afford to fly enough in this country!). As stated above, they were always very helpful and professional - most of my (infrequent) flights were with Dave Brown, who is very easygoing. Not sure if he's still there though. Also flew with ANT a couple of times - they're also good, in my experience.
Comed signed me off on variable pitch aircraft (my first time in one) after an hour in the air! Make of that what you will, but suffice to say, I haven't used my 'option' to fly the type since! I think it'll take me a little longer than an hour to satisfy myself I'm safe to fly it. It's worth looking at all the schools on the airfield though...
Blackpool is a good field to fly from, nice and close to the area you'll do your messing around, and as mentioned above, the ATC are very helpful.
Briefly flew from Liverpool as well, at RavenAir (who I'd also recommend for their professionalism), but the airspace is a b*tch round there for a beginner - all good experience though!
Don't worry about the crosswinds! You'll usually be able to use a runway that's as near as... the cloud will more likely be a problem, but that's a fact of life in this country, I'm afraid. And if you think Blackpool is windy, you should try Port Elizabeth in South Africa!! Great fun!