Sunday is Regents Park by the bandstand. 'Diafony' - If as MAP suggests you are based in 'Wirral' - I have no real idea where that is... How far are you willing / able to travel???
Totally disagree - PH is fun and it teaches various skills, but none that cannot also be learned via other methods. I VASTLY prefer applications training to PH.
I have much more interest and ability in applications than PH - I have a dickie right hip-joint that means I will probably never be anything significant in fixed-step competitive PH. I do a lot better with the more mobile PH drills. There are aspects of PH that are essential to develop, in order to enrich a lot of applications -> typically in countering and changing application; which both come about from detecting changes in force, relative positioning and weight distribution. There are applications that can be used in PH e.g. locking and escaping locks. In general, from my experience of TJQ within my lineage Wudang/Cheng-Tin-Hung and elsewhere when I meet folk from other styles; is that the vast majority are unwilling to develop applications, in particular qinna - both in unarmed and armed applications. There are exceptions, but the majority do not have the interest or motivation to absorb joint pain energy - internal attack/defence; or can even name, demonstrate, teach and develop even orthodox applications. However, as the question was from someone starting out, the chances of finding schools teaching applications from day 1 are extremely slim, but decent PH schools are around in reasonable abundance. Also, PH is essential if wishing to go to Sanshou - to learn how to effect bridging and trapping. I do not know of any schools teaching Sanshou from day 1.
