We have sycamores (Platanus spp.) too, they're not the same as maples (Acer spp.) But only sugar maples really produce enough sap to make syrup, and they require very cold temperatures and heavy snow for an optimum "sap run." So I suspect you folks in the UK don't have cold enough weather to make sugar maples happy.

Recipes: I like to put it on pieces of baked or roasted winter squash, such as Hubbard or acorn. Or drizzle on top of baked apples. I'm personally very fond of maple syrup on top of bread, instead of jam or butter. There's also maple snow, which we make with, well, snow, but you can use shaved ice too. You just heat the syrup until it is very warm, drop onto snow or ice, and let cool. Then eat like candy. MMMMM!

Hotspur-who-is-in-the-midst-of-syrup-country