Thanks everyone for your input.
My main reason for asking is I am planning a trip to the Isle Of Man from Sherburn and this route takes me over the pennines unless I track around the highest points.
Even in the best of weather there are usually some cloud formation over the hills. There are class A all over the West part of Northern England but will be flying between 3000' and 5000' until I reach the coast. I am very confident and have no problems with Radio Nav and probably track POL - IOM anyway.
Usually these altitudes are above the cloud and is clear again in the East and again in the West its just the trip over there.
From everyones comments I am starting to believe my original understanding being as long as you can maintain VMC on the way up and down assuming your above 3000' (as per my original post) you can fly over the cloud but the comments of the UK not allowing a basic PPL to be out of sight of the surface is concerning if definate (at all altitudes)