Gareth,
Breighton isn't a million miles away, and there's a nice T67M available for hire at reasonable rates from York Flying School. No membership or landing fees. £100/hr dry. Can do aeros in the overhead so you're not flying for miles before filling your boots.
Come along for a look around this weekend. You'll struggle to find anything with a tailwheel that anyone will let you hoon around in up this way. There is a Pitts S-2B at Full Sutton but that's dual only. There was/is (it got smashed up in a landing accident) an Extra 200 at Wombleton.
Welcome to the "converting a foreign commercial licence" club. Wouldn't be such a long road if they binned the pointless theory requirements... Obviously nobody is up to the job until they've passed 14 pointless exams.
