The HP550 was available at Costco last winter for $49 (and later price dropped to $29). I myself am wishing I got more than just one of them. But yes, it IS a great dal, even at $49. They actually ARE a good light to give as a gift because they not only take AA batteries. But with their 3s3p battery arrangement, they’re capable of running on high for extended periods even with alkaline batteries. Of course, I think this was also the Achilles Heel of this light - having to replace nine alkaline batteries could get expensive. And charging nine NiMH batteries can be quite inconvenient. But with NiMH, this light will actually run quite well on three or six (albeit with accordingly less runtime). As far as modes, I wish it had a mode at around 150-200 lumens rather than 40. Or that they had a 150-200 lumen medium rather than the strobe. But I guess you can’t have everything.
As for getting it in the UK, not sure who would have it there. But I think it’s available on Amazon. Not sure if shipping is a deal killer, though.