I know what you mean VP. I have lost count of the amount of people who have told me I will be severely limiting myself by going automatic. The way I see it is I have waited 13 years to drive and a few more months won't make that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things! I think I will be more confident in an automatic and a fair few of the mums I know at Ds's school learnt in manuals but have driven automatics now for years and would never go back. I guess it depends on the individual. Do the gears phase you more or is it something else?
I am with a one man band! He charges £20 a lesson which is cheap for automatic and I really could not ask for a better instructor. He is fantastic - really patient, never shouts and never tries to rip you off like some do. I know one lady who had 10 lessons and never drove on a main road - her instructor took her on an industrial estate and spent way too much time showing her diagrams to save his petrol .
How many lessons have you had now VP?