I cant believe people try and fly VFR in conditions such as these, I wouldn't dare!
I agree; it's stupid (apparently). Probably this was a warm front type weather so very high tops (~FL200). Mind you, the Islander cross-channel flights have often been seen scud running at an alleged 400ft
It may be a taboo subject in some places but there are many pilots who never get weather data. The same pilots never get notams. This IMHO is why AFPEx has caused such an uproar; it dragged out of the woodwork a bunch of pilots who could not use the internet so they never got weather, never got notams, but until the FBUs were shut they did manage to file flight plans so they could get to Le Touquet etc.