Motorcycle Training

Im not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing that at the age of 47, today was my first time ever riding a motorbike on the road.
Contrary to some peoples understandings, the CBT is not a 'test' - the T stands for 'training' - Compulsory Basic Training. You can however 'fail' to pass (though you simply come back - free of charge - to do more training). The idea being - and it makes great sense - that an instructor gives you basic training on how to handle a motorcycle (up to 125cc) and then checks your riding skills to make sure you are not a danger to yourself or other road users. Its a 5-6 hour course.
There were 4 of us on this session at '1st Motorcycle Training' - all considerably younger than me.... but not necessarily better than me! We were allocated a motorcycle each (mine was a Yamaha SR 125) and we started off right from basics; walking your bike round in a figure of 8. Now this might seem a bit TOO basic, but it gave me great confidence that our trainer, Mark, wasn't going to assume anything about our previous experience and seeings as I had zero previous experience, this was going to be good for me. Incidentally, the bikes are a lot heavier than I'd expected, so getting used to the physical weight of the machine is quite a useful thing to do.
Our training (in a small car-park) soon progressed to driving in circles and figure of 8's, emergency stops and indicator controls. A quick bit of class-room (well it was a converted freight container which doubled up as a bike store) theory on how to use junctions, and we were ready to get out on the road. Hold up! I thought.... I dont know how to use the 'one-down, 4-up' gears yet! That didnt seem to be a worry for Mark.
Before we set off, Mark did give us 3 useful Mnemonics;
1. "Only a fool breaks the 2-second rule" - referring to leaving good space between you and the vehicle in front
2. "If it starts to pour, make it 4" - referring to leaving even more space if it raining
3. "To avoid a shunt, don't be a c**t" - simply meaning, dont drive like an idiot and you'll be alright.
We were kitted with bright orange vests and ear-pieces to hear the instructor, and and off we went. We drove for about an hour with different people taking the lead and Mark giving us varying degrees of instruction and directions - Left turn junctions, right turn junctions, roundabouts this way and roundabouts that way etc etc.
Out on the road - I was surprised at just how intuitive the 'one-down, 4-up' gears were. Sure, it took me a while to get used to smooth clutch control, and deciding on which brake (hand or foot) to use for various circumstances demanded some focus. And of course I kept forgetting to cancel my indicator - but all in all, it was a great experience, and one that gave me much more confidence (and motivation) to get a motorcycle on the road....... all I need now is a motorcycle! Looks like a new Vespa floor-pan is in order