It said that I was doing 73mph but doesn't mention what the speed limit was. It also says that i didn't meet the criteria for an Awareness Course but not why. I haven't done one in the last three years, that's why I would like to know what the limit was. I have a friend in Wales who was clocked at 83 in a variable and he's down for a course next week.
I will give you a different perspective.
I used to Police the M4 from Heathrow down to the Wiltshire border just west of junction 14 and although I am retired, things have not changed.
Anyone committing an offence from junction 11 through to the county border are dealt with by Newbury Magistrates court (at least until it closes in a month or so) and anything east of junction 1 is dealt with by Maidenhaead Magistrates.
Most speeders that go to Newbury up to 100MPH keep their licence and get a token slap on the wrist fine, go to Maidenhead for the same offence and you can more or less say goodbye to your licence and kiss goodbye to your life savings as you pay off the fines (I exagerate but you get my drift)
The same applies to the driver awareness courses. Different forces have different criteria, and in fact Thames Valley tend to put more through the courts than the courses
As Boggymarsh says it is an absolute offence, and some might argue that if you were in a variable limit and yu were sufficiently over to be outside the criteria for a speed awareness course, you are lucky that you are not looking at a section 3 careless driving offence as well.
As Boggymarsh says, you have been caught, take it on the chin and save yourself a few shillings with the extra fines that would be imposed on you if you went to court.