Hi Pete, welcome mate from a relatively newbie myself. Great site, just don't visit the for sale section, it's addictive.
Anyway, I liked your bass playing story, bit like mine. Stopped playing for 15 years, after band broke up then got fed up with dealing with dodgy promoters, flouncy singers and not seeing the kids. Got back into it a few years ago, with encouragement from mates, now playing again, with teaching, full time.
Best of luck with the band Pete, enjoy it and welcome to the 5 string club!
John