If you just want to fly for fun and your budget is 1500 UKP, you could blow it indeed on powered flying lessons and with a bit of luck go solo. Once. Twice if you're extremely lucky and well-talented.
As an alternative, you could also do something cheaper. Gliding perhaps. 1500 UKP may buy you, what, two years of membership fees plus 100 winch launches? Maybe even more - I don't know the typical fees in the UK. But you could definitely go solo within that timeframe and budget, and possibly even get your Glider Pilots License.
It just seems a waste of money to have to stop after you've gone solo. Once. Because that's when flying gets to be fun, instead of hard work.