Thanks for the input. I would rather study locally (nothing against the OU, apart from the travelling time and costs). I think I was being a bit Tiggerish when I was discussing it and my friend wanted to prepare me in case I was knocked back, but I took it to heart more than I should. I found some other threads on the lines of "too old to do a PhD" (one of them was from a 30-year-old!) and it seems it shouldn't be a barrier if I go about it properly. At least I've got plenty of time to think about it and get my ideas organised before the Postgrad Fair. I've really got to do something intellectually challenging, or I'll spend the rest of my life watching CSI re-runs on Channel 5....

I'm a prospective PhD student, planning to do a part-time, self-funded PhD, but need some advice from current PhD students. I'm a late starter - I didn't get my first degree until I was 38, then did a full-time MSc when I was 40 and a part-time MSc in my late 40s. I'll be 59 when (if) I start my PhD. I've been told by a friend who started her PhD in her 30s that I may have problems finding a supervisor at a local uni (North East or North West) because of my age. I am considering registering with the Open University as I think they are more likely to take me on. I'd be quite happy working with minimal face-to-face supervision and my subject area lends itself to online working. I'm going along to the Postgraduate Fair in Manchester in November to find out more, but does anyone out there have experience of the OU, or of doing a PhD with minimal supervision?