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@gbj_tester
These days, time trial qualification seems to divide two ways. On the super fast courses, you need a super fast qualifying time; think in terms of sub 22:00 to get on the 10 mile V718. Fortunately for beginners, snails and the more ancient Veterans, most courses aren't rated as fast, and you can get a ride on a reasonable course like the H25/8 (course record: 46:58 A. Dowsett, 2009) with no qualifying time at all.
It seems not to have been mentioned yet, but many Club time trials (usually on week day evenings) allow novices to ride without the need to be a member of an affiliated club, so your total financial commitment to riding your first race is the £2-£3 entry fee. Ask your local club about a scheme called CTI (Come and Try It). Different clubs adopt the scheme in different ways, but MDCC allows CTI rides in all our Club events, that's 24 Thursday evening 10s and 4 Sunday afternoon 25s plus the hill climb where for the bargain price of £3 you get timed up 3 different hills in one morning of pleasure.
Specifically for the LFGSS audience, there are a couple of equipment regulations for time trials which might require adjustments to your daily ride; you must have two working brakes (a front brake and a fixed gear with a lock ring will do), and the brake levers need to be operable while you're holding the widest part of the handlebar, so a hipster style Dirty Harry lever next to the stem won't cut it, and neither will super narrow chopped risers, since the minimum bar width is 35cm. Oh, and I think the 650c Mavic 3G is illegal, so LoPro riders with ancient wheels take note.