I did the PA28 route in the UK, got bored with it, then got into vintage taildraggers within a PFA group. Cost 40 quid a month at 25 per hour.
If I were you and could take a year off, I’d go to the US and get my PPL (A) (use those hours of experience you already have), get a taildraggers rating, then spend some time out there flying for peanuts in something like a J3 Cub or Citabria. Come back to the UK try microlights or join a group with a PFA aircraft and see how it goes.
As someone has already said learning in/on a microlight is not much cheaper than a 152, you might as well go for the PPL (A) as you will have more to choose from when renting.
This is my biased opinion, and I am sure will get up someone’s nose.
CC