Hey jjoe.... well done on the license, now you can build experience!
And for the winter in the midlands, GO EAST, young man! if you have been following the weather as you must, you may have noticed the wet comes from the west.
The 152 is cheaper to fly and to rent. The 172 is a great workhorse and can carry three people and a few bottles of plonk, but save it for later. For goodness sake, don't buy your own aeroplane yet, fly the one you know, and go off on adventures. Will they let you go cross country in the rented plane? across the Channel? or touch the four corners of the UK, fly to Kent, to York, to Cornwall (if the weather permits). When you can safely find your way around, buddy up with another pilot to save expense, and go to Europe. There are plenty of experiences waiting there! oola la!
But the last thing to do at this stage is to show off to your friends. Seriously, aeros make them sick. Long flights bore them. And you havn't got the humility of realising just how little you actually know at this early stage. 300 hours? that's the dangerous stage! 800 hours? better. You would have responsibility for the lives of any girlfriends or mates. Don't ask them yet.
Being a solo and licensed pilot is one of the most wonderful feelings that a human being can enjoy. You are a member of a very exclusive club, superior to all those BMW's down there while you look down from your good old spam can. You can fly!