ChickenHouse, I don't think I would have flown with that TAF either. Drizzle, 300m visibility, overcast at 0ft.... Not sure many people would fly unless they had to (or were commercial / airline / private jet pilots of course) however, admittedly a little further West than Earls Colne, the weather was definitely flyable (well above my personal minima) by 9am.
EGSS 061055Z 0612/0718 22003KT 4600 HZ FEW030
is absolutely fine but:
BECMG 0701/0704 1200 -RADZ BR BKN003 PROB40 TEMPO 0701/0710 DZ TEMPO 0702/0713 0300 FG OVC000 BECMG 0711/0714 27005KT 3000 BR BKN012 BECMG 0714/0717 6000 NSW FEW012 PROB30 0717/0718 0300 FG BKN001
Paints a very different picture... However, the forecasts and the actual are very often different, as I believe they were yesterday.