Too Old
I was in a similar situation to Camp Freddie, started flying helos at 32 with a PPL then got CPL by 35, and started work flying the north sea at 37, with a lot of money induced stress. What ever money i planned on spending, there was always more needed !!(and i had a house and family to keep).
I was prepared for a tough time to get up the rotary ladder, but i didnt realise how frustrating it can be, and i'm not sure i would make the journey again.
You are asking the correct questions for a wannabe, but expect the worst and hope for the best i.e possible saying goodbye to £70k +++ (you need the CPL + Instructors rating ) the instructor rating will get you the experience you need, which is what the North sea operators want. But nobody cares where you get the hours from or how much you paid, but get as much P1 as possible.
The future of North sea is grey just like the weather. One operator has just let go of a few of the latest ab-initio cadets complete with free cpl,s. But tomorrow they could be recruiting !! It pays to be one step ahead of the market and position yourself accordingly, but don't forget to write those biggggg cheques out.
Best thing to do is get a big F off motorbike, and take up scuba diving,skiing and you'll still have change for a big boat, cause thats what bored pilots buy.
Best of luck
Forgot to mention friend of mine started work for scotia 2 years at the ripe old age of 42, as a puma copilot after instructing on the sout coast. He sarted flying at 38.
Again best of luck