Not quite personal experiences, but....
An instructor friend of mine enjoys frequent flights with a very elderly gentleman who can't get a PPL. He was a pilot in World War 2, gave up flying, and started again in old age. According to her he's quite good...not that it matters. He flies where he wants to go; she goes along for the ride to make it legal.
So there's an option if you can't get an NPPL - find an instructor you like, do the course, and keep flying, taking the same guy/gal along for company...for ever. It means you can't go solo or get the poo-coloured wallet for which you pay a small fortune, but does that really matter? You can still fly!!!
