Phiggs
I'm not sure what Met office forecasts have got to do with respect to wizz wheels?
Regarding link - fair enough - according to the website it changed on 1st October.
Maybe a better place would be here, as updated documents should be linked to from there:
SRG2105: Authorisation for PPL/SPL/LAPL Qualifying Cross Country | Publications | About the CAA
Wizz wheel is probably compulsory at most schools - but as I said before - its between you and the instructor. If your instructor teaches you to use fancy tools from the start, it wont let you pass the exam (as for the ground exam its whizz wheel and non-programmable calculator only), but there aren't any rules saying you can't use and learn other methods.
And yes - I completed my qualifying cross country a while ago. Route was discussed on the phone a few days before which I planned at home, then instructor checked it in detail when I arrived for the flight. I could have used any method I wanted to plan the flight.