Another lamb to the slaughter
Hi Davieboy
My goodness are you in for a shock.
Forget the armchair. Find a darkened room and lie down in it with your eyes shut and your hands over your ears. Let's just say you're embarking on a road beset with peril and anguish.
The best advice in the world if you want to fly is join the RAF. Absolutely the best way to get paid to fly and perhaps even the most efficient way into a commercial jet(?)
Depends what sort of job you want, really.
I.T. is not stupid. You need a back up in this game. It's better paid than piloting, and there are far more options. At the risk of sounding negative, my flying instructor left a good job in IT only to have to return to it after nearly ten years of instructing because the progression opportunities and money just weren't there.
You're still young (26 and under!) so get in quick with applications for sponsorships/ bonds etc, be that through GAPAN, CTC-McAlpine or others, and go for some trial lessons at your local flying club. Talk to the instructors, because they've seen and done it all before, and will give you good advice.
If you decide to go for a PPL, budget between five and six thousand pounds, and remember you need to stay current after that, and also have a means to fund further training if you still want to go commercial.
If the red mist descends and you set your heart on the big jets, be warned you're looking at a potential outlay of £80-90K if you go integrated, or perhaps £50-£60K if you go modular.
My best wishes to you.