At weekends I can talk to Lakenheath , Cambridge, Norwich, Anglia Radar, even Essex if I've half a mind.And Southend can be pretty useful in the south of our great region.
Lakenheath only sometimes at weekends, no response last time I called. And when I have managed to understand them they've tended to say good-bye when I'm two miles clear of the MATZ and heading away from it. Cambridge rarely has the radar manned at weekends. Norwich, yes if you're anywhere near there, which I'm not often. Anglia Radar, you joke surely? - on my map they only cover bits of the sea (and a strip of coast), or am I missing something? I've not tried talking to Essex, the gossip about them here and elsewhere suggests that they don't have much time to chat to passing spamcans. Southend, yes, I talk to them if I'm going that way, and feel that I don't mind the "turn 30 degrees for identification" and the constant repetition of "high speed traffic crossing ahead of you, right to left, no height information, possibly an airliner".
So, Lakenheath aside, quite a big gap between Norwich and Southend, being the bit I usually fly in.
And Gertie, I'm glad I'm not the only one that sometimes has to ask Lakenheath to say again. But they do warn you about big grey things going in and out of their little strip.
One approach that seems to work (assuming you don't want to fly actually inside the MATZ) is to fly around wearing a Cambridge conspicuity squawk, then the cousins will get on the phone to Cambridge when they want you to do something, and Cambridge will ask you nicely in English. The one time this happened to me I was at 5,000' or something, the request was not to descend for the time being please, and I saw a big grey thing creeping along at hedge height thousands of feet below me.
(My original post in this thread was not intended to complain about not having a radar service, I don't mind that, it was to wonder whether there was a more detailed LARS map somewhere showing ground features.)