Ben,
Outstanding effort and achievement on the sweeper hire thing (gods own google) but slow down on the aircaft thing, my suggestion is to just do the PPL at rental rates, (if you are indeed fed up of the GBP rates , then wait a few months , save and do it in the USA), but buying an affordable , marginal clapped 152 for PPL , mate , you're going to end up learning the hard way, and unless you have capital to burn, then I'd listen very hard to what people have said here.
do the PPL, get it over with, decide what you want to do, then buy/share something "interesting" like a moth or a cub and maybe a year and a 100/200 hours or so later, a pitts or something like that, then you can have enjoyment and income (albeit small) at the same time!
trust me, the PPL is the least expensive thing you will ever do in this game
