I only work Heathrow traffic but find it difficult to believe an 80-mile circuit! With the available airspace I would not have thought that possible.
We try to maintain 210kts until base leg, then 180.... but there are a number of crews who ask to slow down to 180 long before a base leg..
Occasionally is the inner stacks are getting full we might bring traffic off early and give it an extended circuit to give us another level in the stack, but we'd keep you at 210kts+ for the countryside tour.
Haven't the last few days been such fun in the London TMA??!!