Midland331: The place is unrecognisable now, and infested with lo-co riff-raff, hen parties sloshed at 0630, carrying inflatable male bits, etc.
I know what you mean. I have only known the place in more recent times, but even then I have seen it take a serious turn for the worse.
I used to take a weekly commute up to EDI on the lovely fully-serviced F70/F100 service. On several occasions on the return leg on a Friday evening, there was a very likeable and attentive (middle-aged) Steward who on more than one occasion would sit down next to me for a while to discuss the wine list in detail and offer recommendations according to what he had available. Very pleasant and helpful chap.
Then EMA turned itself into Chav Central and the fully-serviced schedule was culled in favour of BMI-Baby. I recall seeing this poor chap on the same run, but not in uniform any more - resplendent in jeans and lurid-coloured t-shirt - in amongst the teenie-CC, looking well out of place. I could have cried for him. Discussing the fine points of wine one week, and mopping up puke the next. What a way to go...
From my perspective, it could not have been worse either - I went from paying around £100 for the weekly return trip fully-serviced, to around £350 for the completely-unserviced trip because of how we had to purchase our tickets. Oh, the irony. I was very glad in the end to finish that job.
Sorry about the slightly off-topic post.