Just wanted to wish you well with your training and hope you find a good shoot nearby when pup's ready.
Even though my OH uses our worker Fenn on shoots, I go too go beating, and can say that it really is a joy watching your dog work, doing something that they absolutely love - their tails never stop wagging, and spaniels especially tend to go on, and on and on....and for you it is a very sociable gathering which I enjoy.
Agree with Coco to look at the NOBS website for contacts, and with Nicola on going to game fairs...you meet a lot of like minded people, plus get to see so many cockers
....I love them! You can also enter (when pups ready) in the Gundog Scurry's, they are a bit of fun, and based on times, a couple of dummies are retrieved and winner is quickest to bring both back (winner usually gets a bag of food) but these too, IMO, give you a taster of how pup reacts to commands when there is quite alot going on.
Training side of things, there are a good few DVDS out which give you a base to work with and some good tips (alongside what you friend is teaching you). Also, if your dogs not had any access to hearing guns shots, OH has always taken his pups to clay shooting grounds which are a good place for pup to have that introduction (although I'm not sure how old pup should be for this? Nicola would know?). OH first sat in the cafe area with Fenn, praising her and reasurring her, not right near the shooting, then when he felt the time was right gradually moved closer to the area where the clay shooting took place. Anyhow's just somethings I've picked up - it is very interesting (I too was totally new to it all and never really took and interest until we got Fenn).
Good luck