Hi all,
Immense thanks to all who've contributed to my post, and also to those who got in touch via PM. The advice and personal insights, both +ve and -ve, have been invaluable.
I've spent days deliberating on this, done a lot of research, and more importantly, talked it over with folks at home (Scroggs - sound advice BTW). Instinct tells me that pursuit of the dream is too much of a risk, mainly due to responsibilities and commitments at home; I've been made redundant and had two children - all in the space of the last 9 months. I have the finance to fund the training, but it feels like a case of 'too much to lose, too little to gain' to now fork out shed loads of money when there are absolutely no guarantees of a job at the end of it. I could well be a fortunate one, who knows, but at 42 (now 43 as I write this!) and no flying hours seems a big ask.
The FI route is an option I've considered, but the relatively poor pay (from what other posters have suggested) again makes me question it.
In the short term, I've decided to do my PPL in as short a time scale as possible as helpfully suggested by someone on this thread. If I'm totally smitten by the PPL experience, then who knows what I'll do!
Arghhhh!!!
Many thanks.