Great fun, very safe and cheap. I also fly fully gadgeted spam cans IFR and you cant beat the sheer fun and freedom of a microlight.
Expect as an experianced A+H pilot to take between 15-20 hours to convert to the reverse sense of a flexwing.
Aircraft perfromance varies from 40-90mph and costs for a trike can start at £1800 and work up to £20,000.
Running cost on an average flexwing is between 12-18lph mogas. Maintance is done by yourself if you want with an inspector overseeing.
Real term cost is about £25 per hour wet.
I am a BMAA member and have found them an endless source of help and advice and worth the £40 odd quid a year membership. You will get a monthly mag full of interesting stuff and a big used aircraft section at the back.
There are many good schools out there offering conversion, some of the top guys are Flylight at Sywell who I learnt with, C10 at Deenethorpe to name but a couple. Expect to end up with an NPPL which you can do both a flex wing and fixed wing rating.