Have you tried burying your head in the sand? It doesn't help, but it doesn't make it worse and you don't feel as bad.
Mrs BigJohn told me about 18 months ago "why don't you just do something you're good at, and you like doing, and if you get paid at the end of the week it's a bonus"
So I stopped jobhunting and pissing about at IT consulting, started doing repairs and odd jobs for people and now I've got a proper business designing and fitting bedrooms, home offices, kitchens & bathrooms. Not earning much but it feels real and I think it's going to work.
I really should get over valuing my customers' happiness above profit...or should I?
Based in Stafford by the way, should you be needing a wardrobe.
Oh - and those people who say "I applied for thousands of jobs and didn't even get a reply" - what do you expect? If you reply to EVERYTHING, it means that a) you are just sending out a standard CV and standard covering letter, which means you don't deserve a reply, and b) all the recruiters will be royally fed up with getting your mis-matched CV. Don't apply for 100 jobs a day - set your target at 2 or 3 but spend about 2 hours doing a bit of research and tailoring your application to prove that you and the job are a perfect match.
currently very heavily employed as a house husband and father.. but in my youth I spent a fair while without a job..
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Only took best part of 3 months but a FT job has been secured 
The minute you get out of an interview, regardless of how well it went, write everything you can remember down - good, bad and ugly! Even if this means driving around the corner, pulling over and scribbling furiously for 10 mins. it makes a massive difference to interview technique and how you come across in future interviews. Before you go for the next interview, read your notes from previous - remember the good, avoid the bad bits.
Also, spend time to come up with some good questions - I'm rubbish at it, but I've interviewed a lot of people and one thing that always stands out is people who've done their research on the company and the role and ask some interesting and well thought out questions.
Best of luck drinkmoreport. As in all things, prepare for the worst and hope for the best. These are very dispiriting times especially when job hunting. There are good tips already re CVs etc, so won't repeat. But I would make on suggestion. Make 1 maybe even 2 days a week, as down time. Ignore everything but yourself - job hunting, CVs, emails, STW (!), jobs around the house. Get on your bike and give yourself a break. Let others now that this is part of your regime (saves hassle up front!
Oh, and ignore your name! Probably not the best idea, if only to avoid painful big toes!!