There were/are 5 Duchesses, not 8
There are quite a few more than that now.
The cars for hire from the school were absolute crocks and broke down frequently. Given the quantity of cash being obtained from students for their hire, they badly needed to be in better order.
The cars have been replaced with new ones with no servicibility problems.
There were no on-site examiners.
Ben is a PPL/Multi examiner, and Steven Fisher and Paul Thompson do the CPL exams and do not have to travel far at all.
Appreciate your points TwoDeadDogs, but as stated a lot changes in 5 years and as seen by the comments of recent and current students - things have changed for the better!