Gliding for 25 years, mainly in Oxfordshire but with spells in Bavaria and northern Italy. Haven't always been able to follow the pastime as intensively as I'd have liked, but would never give it up. Acquired NPPL (SSEA and SLMG) a few years ago - partly for the complementary disciplines of clock-and-compass navigation, experience of controlled airspace and so on - and dabbled with hot-air ballooning for a while, but still feel you can't beat gliding for the pleasure, exhilaration and satisfaction of pure flight.
Misanthropes on gliding fields? Well, I guess there are always a few (didn't Platypus reckon that competition gliding required at least six of the seven deadly sins?), but for the most part you find remarkable warmth and generosity. As for the BGA, it strikes me - in recent years at least - as by far the most sensible, effective and professional of the sport organizations that I know, and is doing an excellent job of keeping our sport as free from external control and bureaucracy as possible.
Windrusher