I live in south England and I'm looking for an older man that is fat and hairy but I don't think I will find one in a smaller club, I think there will only be slim young men and I'm not interested in that. I don't know of any big gay clubs near me so I doubt I will find an older man in a small club, I don't want to go in and have young men come up to me, I think younger men are more likely to be in a gay bar.
First off, if what I've seen in England is any indication, then yes, the bear population is very healthy. If clubs over there are like clubs in the states, however, then certain places will have certain target populations, and you might have more luck at some clubs than others, but there are certainly places that cater to older crowds. You also mention, though, that you're looking for older men - and while I don't want to tell you what to feel or think, I do want to point out that looking for significantly older men can be problematic on its own. You may want to be extra on guard and be sure to take care of yourself if you find yourself in such a situation - don't assume too much about people's motivations.
I went out in Bournemouth once and in a pub (I'm afraid I can't remember the name) saw a poster for a bear night that was on every week. However, in Portsmouth for example there isn't anything like that, so it probably depends on how big the scene is where you live. I would imagine Brighton would have them too.
There used to be a bear club near Waterloo station London.. called XXL or something like that - never been but you could google search for it
