Not sure how many climbs in the UK you would need 60m. Why carry the weight of the extra 20m of rope for the vast majority of the time if not needed? For brands and other comments re half ropes see link below. (Actually asks for comments on double ropes but probably means half ropes.) Never needed double rope technique in UK.
For English and Welsh climbing, I'd definitely recommend 50s over 60s - in reality you're likely to run pitches together so rarely that carrying and handling the extra 10m the rest of the time is absolutely not worth it.
Even for those climbing lots in Scotland or overseas I still think 60s are rarely optimal but the tradeoffs are rather less clear cut.
You can see the other thread for my opinions on some specific ropes.
If you're looking for a real all rounder that can take a bit of a battering check out the Beal Cobra's. I have them in 60s but I use them for winter climbing mainly as the Golden Dry treatment is great. They hadly absorb any water compared to other treated ropes. This might be a plus point if you're climbing in the Lakes!
My brother and mate recently picked up a pair also having climb on mine.
No question in my mind 2 x 50m half (double in some references) is the way to go. If you're interested in economising I'm selling one of mine. It's a Mammut Obsession 50m x 8.3mm. It's red and is 3 or 4 years old and only been used for multipitch climbing in the UK as I climb a lot abroad and use different ropes). It's suffered no falls. I can send photos - please email me on mart10ben@gmail.com if of interest.
I think it's hard to buy a bad rope these days. The more important question is 'what diameter half ropes should I buy?' Diameter is directly proportional to longevity / abrasion/cut resistance, and thin halves really don't last very long on aggressive rock. You also have the belay security issue in that thin ropes require specific devices rated for them to hold falls properly. I'd suggest borrowing some from friends to see what you like. My personal preference is for 8.5<->9mm halves and I bought Mammut Genesis ones because they were a good deal at the time. Like in all gear discussions, your lead grade doesn't matter - you can wear out your rope just as fast doing diffs as on E5s.
I was going to buy some cobras until I read in your piece about them not having middle marks. For me, that is nuts. Ended up buying their triple rated half ropes instead.
Getting back to the question, 50s are all you need on UK rock. If you need more, you’re probably off route!
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