If you are used to Las Vegas cardrooms you will find the UK games far less convenient. My advice would be to settle into the Birmingham scene, ask around and be prepared to drive maybe an hour or two to a good game. The VIC in London is worth a visit but you probably could not commute there from B'ham. I would also recommend a visit to Dusk Till Dawn and following the cash games around the Tournament circuit UKIPT, GUKPT, Genting etc. when they are a reasonable drive, there is always plenty of money floating around during Festival Weeks. It is probably worth reading the threads on A World of Poker also, to get a feel for how the games are going.
You are just going to have to get most of the information by word of mouth. So I hope you are a friendly, likeable and sociable player!
1500 chips blinds are 150/300 for 20 min before add on = total crapshoot.
A great shame.
80 mins of rebuys is end of level 5 125/250 25 ante. You get 4500 chips for the €30 euro add-on. Does not look that bad unless you buy-in initially at the end of late reg.
I never ask to see an opponents cards, because of the chance they may have the winning hand! I generally play more Omaha than Hold'em and am very pleased when players muck.