Hootin
Don't hold your breath waiting for things to change. I worked EDI from 89-97 and your experiences were happening way back then too. The "circular flow" in the TMA was supposed to be the solution to all these presentation problems, taking many of the jets out of the TLA (or whatever its called today) sector, but that wasn't the case.
I still remember one session, Glasgow was on 05 and EDI was on 07 (a while back I know) and I watched two Glasgow arrivals from the NEW direction trog past TLA out of 100 for 70 on their merry way to FENIK 50+ miles from touchdown. Above them, over TLA, were my next 4 arrivals in a box formation on headings for an 8 mile final, the lowest at 110 still doing 280kts with 28 to touchdown on that heading! Sweet! They all took a look at the UW and came right hand downwind for another try.
You're right about Manchester too. Worked there 97-03. Everything to the hold unless coordinated. Once its in the hold its transferred not held onto for no good reason. "We need to keep traffic because we're climbing through the hold"
was TLA's reply to our request to talk the guy in the hold at 120 with nothing in the 3000 feet below him. Isolated events? Maybe, but they shouldn't happen at all.
We were also waiting for the removal of class E airspace from the Scottish TMA too.
