I've also trained at Netherthorpe fairly recently and I enjoyed it a great deal. I think relations have thawed a little with Pheonix, but SAC never seem to have got a handle the stupid politics there. It imploded again fairly recently, and between that and various other reasons they seem to have almost completely changed their instructors in the last few months.
On the plus side that probably includes the one with the 'bad attitude'. There was only one instructor there who I avoided flying with, as I had a lot of issues with his teaching style. But there is no question that he knew stuf, and I know other students who loved him, so horses for courses and all that.
Nick Riddin is still there as far as I know, but he was very PT anyway. He's great and I would have liked to fly with him more but the schedules and the weather meant it never worked out that way.
I've also been to Gamston (half the old SAC staff seemed to be based there now anyway), and I did find it really friendly and welcoming. However, for me, the best thing about learning at Netherthorpe was the confidence it gave me. I felt that once I'd mastered landing there, I'd be ready for anything, and I wouldn't have got that from Gamston.
Kindupnorth: who's doing ground school there now?