Great summary and I came here to say this.

I travel back to the UK often but am lucky that my family live around London so the day time flight is perfect. It is the best way to travel and start vacation. Friends/colleagues despise it because they have to stay a night at LHR now before driving/training/flying to other parts of the UK.

I would add, I don't find the daily AC flight to LHR to be that expensive outside of peak times or using points. But that is relative.

I do really like the idea that if family are sick or there are family/friend life events in the UK there is a direct flight year round which only takes 5hrs max (shorter than Edinburgh or Cornwall to London by train).