Buy a whole aircraft if you're keen to be able to go where you want, when you want and for as long as you want. There is nothing to beat the freedom that that brings you, and there are some pretty cheap Permit types around.
Or you could find one of those groups where only a couple of people ever actually fly, but there are others in the background helping to pay for it all.
Waiting to find out how keen you are could be a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, since the costs, frustrations and restrictions of club renting may drain your enthusiasm before you get to the point of taking the plunge with something of your own.
would consider PFA type, (and would be happy to then club hire for cross channel stuff)
You wouldn't need to do that. Permit aircraft are perfectly capable of overcoming the challenge of the Channel. I took my microlight to Norway and back two weeks ago and didn't fall in the sea once.