I understand about the standard RAF runway layout but I'm just not clear why that would be unsuited to civil aircraft operation. They're still perfectly usable runways so why did BOAC kick-up such a stink about it.
As for the central terminal layout, it is actually a very efficient design which other airports have used. It, in theory, means aircraft are much closer to the runways and have less distances to taxy from their parking stand. The problem is the original Heathrow design never envisaged the massive expansion of traffic over a long period of time, so the central area became rapidly space constricted. This isn't a problem in places like Dallas-Fort Worth where they left huge amounts of space in the central area for long-term development. Simply not possible in dear old blighty.