I think you’ll find that most of the instructors that are at Gatwick now are the same ones who were there when NATS were the ANSP. So they probably have gone!! And like most things in life, there is good and not so good; good instructors and not so good instructors. Also, there are probably some instructors there who really shouldn’t be instructing! It’s also safe to say though, I’m sure your friends from Farnborough ‘impression’ was I’m sure just that. I am certain there is nobody there who ‘made it their business to make sure they didn’t validate’.
Maybe they just weren’t good enough?? That’s normally the case ��