Ian, your appreciation is .....appreciated - glad the method worked for you.
I was in a similar position returning to the hobby a few years ago & to be honest the folks around here helped me get back on the horse - there isn't much related to the hobby that collective knowledge here doesn't know. All in all, it's a very good place.
Another couple of things that will also help you get back on your horse;
* There are plenty of very useful video tutorials on Youtube, from the basics to the advanced.
* Use Google to find kit reviews (like stuka+1/32+review) - it helps to give you an idea if you are buying a pig of a kit, or if there are any issues with any particular kit that would be helpfull to know in advance. There are also "In the box" reviews, which are more like previews - try to look at a few at a few different build reviews.