After much (not much at all really) consideration, I’ve decided to immerse myself in the world of multiprocessor programming using the awesome XMOS startKIT series of chips! As with a lot of IC companies these days, XMOS offer a really cheap hobby level kit to get used to their processors (http://goo.gl/lG5pt0).
I bought mine for £15.93 off the ‘Bay, so it should be arriving soon!
Keep tuned for updates on using it!