Hi Gordon,
No didn't do wfp course, in some ways I wish I had, not least because it means I wouldn't have to travel down there again
Am just starting out with trad methods. However am thinking about a residential unit for conservatory roofs, and inaccessable windows, they do a small unit with an in-line filter & a 12ft pole for £109.95.
http://www.ionicsystems.com/english/index.htmlClick on 'Waterfed Poles', then 'Residential'
Also they do a trolley thats capable of producing up to 5000L (in soft water areas) which costs £347.95 (not shown on site) without the pole. Both these need an outside tap to connect direct to the filter. This is both a positive and a negative in some cases, as you don't need to carry a water supply around with you, but the obvious negative is you will need access to a water supply, which shouldn't be a problem in most cases.
If I decide to go down this route I will almost definitely do the wfp course. I was told that this course is a more theory based course, in the understanding of how the system works, allowing the user to fully understand what they need to do to acheive perfect results everytime, including the first.
I would say if you are thinking about wfp, then it would be wise to take the course, especially if you live a long way from Bristol
Simon