This post takes me back to the days of scud running PA31s ect up and down the UK flying in cloud VFR which is a UK thing as the concept of Flight Following for VFR and low level IFR does not exist here.
So in cloud VFR (IFR flight plan filed and IR held) requires that you have a good old VFR toppo chart and look at it before you go flying, figure out where you will be OCAS and dumped by the controller who will not hand you over.
Remember its up to you who you choose to talk to when OCAS.
In general the low level ATC service in the UK is very good but differs from unit to unit most are very good, but the bad ones are total crap.
One day they will figure out that the american Centre Control system is cheaper and better which means tower controllers sit in towers and look out of the window and approach controllers all work from the centre and provide vectors to all airports and flight following with automatic hand overs.