Ok, thanks 119. I certainly had no intention to show any naïvety about the industry at all with my use of the word 'even'. I've taken on board what your saying though.
I've not dismissed modular training at all. In fact, right now that is almost certainly what I am going to do.
I won't allow odds to stand in the way of my aspirations. I'm very determined to have a damn good go at this.
This will probably be my last post on this particular thread as I think I've been given most of the answers I need for the time being, but I ought to say this first. Thinking philosophically, in three years time I will be 39, will have my PPL, CPL, IR and possibly a TR, I will be £50k-£100k (or maybe more) worse off and I might have a job as pilot. What I definitely will have, though, is three years of great experiences and a whole load of achievements I can be proud of.