Pressman, don't be silly....
They're sending loads of guys out of base at the moment, I've just done two weeks out of base without requesting it.
Plenty of bases are downsizing for the winter, the bases I went to, had the crews downsized before the aircraft in question stopped operating.
Re sbys, I had 3 in my roster this week and flew 2, and they were the first in 3 months. Last month as FO I did 100 hrs, this month 60 with a week off.
I think it's lower in the UK, but it always is, too many people want to be in UK, and that's the price you pay my friend!
VJW