The posts within this thread obviously put me off the idea of using Panshanger.
Why?
If you believe all the threads you read here you'll never go flying at all, especially not to Elstree or Sywell, to name just two airfields that have been critised here.
If Panshangar is the nearest airfield to Welwyn, go there. If you don't like it, you don't have to go back.
I've only been there once, we landed, parked, paid, pi55ed, plotted and took off again.