Sam it happens to all of us, you are not alone. You will gradually become very seasoned to it. You are getting a taste of what it is like to cycle on the roads of Britain today. Hopefully another such incident won't occur for some time. The rational of us here sympathise with you.
I would make just two points.
All this riding primary courtesy of Cyclecraft is all very well and I guess it has it's place where absolutely necessary, but if it is used to merely prove a point to motorists that here I am, a cyclist, and I am going to cycle down the middle of the road and hold you up just because I can, then I feel it may be rather counter productive. Not suggesting you did this at all, so no criticism of you at all. But some others on here I know cycle primary at every opportunity. Yes, cycle assertively and confidently, but when push comes to shove, when a driver is intent on passing you, where ever you position your bike on the road, a cyclist is going to come off a lot worse than a car, van or lorry if there is a collision. This is the reality so it is better to yield. Think "Pride before a fall". Fortunately few drivers actually want to force us off the road or kill us despite this not always appearing the case. The trick is to read the tell tale signs where this might happen and retain control of the situation. This will come with experience. You can always turn off, stop at the side of the road, let them pass, pretend to fiddle with your panniers, fettle your bottom bracket, adjust your light, whatever, in seconds they will be gone, then head off as you were, happy and safe. You can continue to curse them if you want for about a minute. Better to do this rather than risk a confrontation.
Unfortunately you do get chav scum from time to time behaving as you have described. I have had all that you describe, as they go by they lean out the window shout abuse, chuck rubbish at you, half full drinks cans, bottles and bags of rubbish. Fortunately this has only happened a few times in 30 years of cycling but depressingly and worringly in the last few years only.
And the other point finally. Even if you believe you are without reproach in an incident, that is 100% the other party's fault, you might consider twice whether it is worth posting on here or similar such place, as for sure as apples grow on trees, there are always trolls and f'wits that will try to take issue with and make out you were the author or cause of your incident or alternatively totally hijack your thread in a totally unexpected and irrelevant direction. These folk are probably no more than care in community patients.
For the situations that do seriously look like escalating and you will have at least one - carry a camera and phone which are easily accessible.
I think the best handling of a potentially very serious situation where a cyclist could have been seriously assualted, a car (not a chav car of IIRC but a newish Mondeo) slammed on it's brakes after a road cyclist put up his middle finger at it for close passing. Ok, not the brightest thing to do but understandable. The occupants were either watching or driver was purposely looking in this mirrors for a reaction. Two really nasty looking blokes got out, the cyclist immediately started filming them on his mobile as they came for him. He shouted to them(crapping himself) "Smile for my wife as she is a traffic police officer and I have just sent pics of you and your car reg to her saying HELP!" The 2 thugs stopped as they weren't sure if it was bluff or truth, made a threatening grimace, then turned back toward the car and left as quickly as they had stopped as they knew it wasn't worth it and hastily left.
It's survival out there. You appear to be doing everything right. I'm sure you do but there are is no substitute for frequently looking behind.
Safe and happy riding Sam.
