Im in Manchester and I got to see the Shuttle and External Tank pass (after seperation) just 20 minutes after launch.
I suspect now were entering into Winter we wont see anymore Shuttles after launch as the twilight mornings will soon be gone, its only been the combination of the early morning Sun and Late Launches in America which has favoured us Brits but now as the Sun doesnt rise until 7am soon, and with launches usually at 4-5am UK time the chances are slim of seeing anything.
Of course you can always see the Shuttle when its docked/following with the ISS if you have a pass in the morning/evening. Ive seen many passes doing it this way also.


Also to clear some facts, the piture shown is a exposure pic. You leave the shutter open so that it records the light passing through then close it when the image is done. Its NOT a contrail but a picture taken over a duration of probobally 7 seconds. I can vouch that I myself saw the Red of the external fuel tank as the Sun was low on the Horizon at the time and even caused it to flare at moments at my location.
The path it takes is over the Central Atlantic towards Spain where one of the Shuttles emergency landing sites is, over the Atlantic the External Tank is jettisoned and controllers on the ground use small jets on the tank to de-orbit it (controllably) over Africa to splash down over the Central Indian Ocean. The Shuttle doesnt take a direct line over Europe because of Linear Sight and Astrophysics that is difficult to explain, but anyway they are in a Orbit that like the ISS gives them the pull of earths gravity in a sustainable "S" type shapes that make the most of Earths gravitation Pull, otherwise if they went round on a Equational orbit they'd end up falling straight back down or missing the ISS altogether.

[edit on 7/9/09 by ROBL240]