My only coment on the matter is:
I think that £200 to rent an HGV for a few hours is darn good value
Go to a rental company and get a quote, if you dont aggree!!
What you will learn on a limited buget HGV Course
Is now to handle a large vehicle on the public highway & how to do a reversing exersize.
plus a bit more if its a C+E course, i.e to couple/uncouple a trailer etc.
Basically The “Instructor” sits there while you get use to the size of the thing,
He/She will give advice as to the correct positioning, stoping distance’s, & were caution is required, etc.
I feel, that a great many of Training School websites are misleading, as they appear to offer much more.
Ok many could teach you how to drive to a high standard
but if you have surrious faults, bad habbits, Unless of course you have an un-limitied buget.
It would be much cheaper to do an avanced driving course (in a car)
I aggree that Phil could have done better,
i.e in making you aware of the costs, and by not running his business from the cab while your driving.
Hence I offer some alternatives, just outside Worcestershire.
You could try CTT ( Central Transport Training )
tel: 01902 312800
There Web-Site is centraltransporttraining.co.uk/
They operate from the Fox’s Lane trading estate at Woverhampton
about 3/4 mile up the A449 off the Ring Road.
or alternatly:
Billy Thomas (HGV Driver Training)
Tel: 01902 744726
Web-site billythomashgvdrivertraining.co.uk/