kimiwane thanks for the book recommendation. I'll check it out. I'm afraid I may fall victim to something similar to yourself I keep seeing a large 4 and a zero about six months in the future. Still it does look good for a large party in the middle of the summer.
Harlan and Kokumo thanks as well with the advice about other traditions and insight meditation. I'll look through my references again.
I took your advice and I've "googled" for 'insight meditation' in this area with no real joy. Either lots of travelling or they're mid-week lunchtime sessions. I've got "Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation ~Larry Rosenberg" coming through the post right now. It seemed to have good reviews.
Back to the Shambhala:
I had a strange feeling about the setting, which is one of the things that prompted me to post. It is held in an alternative/complementary therapy centre that covers everything from crystals through reiki on past tarot reading and mediumship. The rest of the group is comprised of regulars of these other courses. When the meditation stopped one of them was talking about 'the spirits taking him'. (the instructor basically and politely said he didn't know anything about that, that he didn't know about the other things people were into).
I guess this and the way I've been reading books and discarding that which didn't 'fit' with me means I attend readily prepared with a large pinch of salt and a BS meter.