distaff
The free stuff from the old site is still free. The subscription bit looks quite like Avbrief, but more expensive. Without signing up for their free trial (and I share your feelings towards them) it's hard to tell which is better. The Met office promises you:
Graphical Displays
Rainfall radar - British Isles and Europe
Lightning observations
European synoptic charts
British Isles synoptic analysis
Visible satellite pictures
Infrared satellite pictures
Text forecasts
Three-day planner - S England/S Wales,
N England/N Wales and Scotland
Trial products
Cloud, precipitation and pressure charts
Visibility forecasts
Jetstream / 300 hPa forecast
Registered aviation users can upgrade to the subscription service for £56.40 incl. VAT per year. As a special launch offer for a limited period only, the subscription service is available free for a month to registered users, so why not take advantage of this offer?
edit: found a trial of the visibility forecast - looks quite useful.