You could go to USA, get the FAA Single engine IR.
This will give you a UK IMC without doing anything other then paying the CAA and showing them your FAA licence with IR, and they endorced IMC on your licence.
The FAA IR also reduces your JAR ME IR course when you are ready to do it. It reduces from either a 55 or 50 hour course, to a 20 hour (there are other ways too) course, consisting of 13hrs sim, 7 in a/c.
FAA IR is a good way of killing two birds with one stone. Better option for hour building as it's more productive, and gives the above credit towards the IR, as well as 10 hours reduciton on the JAR SE CPL course.
HB
ps, there are 9 exams for JAR CPL, 7 for IR (A), and 14 total for ATPL.