I thought Pipex were one of the highly rated ISPs but it seems my impression was perhaps a little dated?
Sounds like they've gone downmarket to make a perfect fit with the new owners!
Incidentally, my current ISP, Madasafish have been quite dire on several occasions over the past year but the last month or so have been quite impeccable. Just announced - BT are buying them out, so maybe that's why they've kept everything going well?