Correct on all points Bose. Or at-least, I'd like to have had my ability assessed, and was grumpy that a "wrong" mix of hours prevented that.
As I've said several times, I firmly believe that the LAA coaching scheme is a Good Thing, and populated by excellent people.
I wanted a shot at becoming/demonstrating that I could become one of those excellent people, but wasn't allowed because I didn't tick the right boxes on experience yet. This annoyed me, but I'll get over it, and if I'm not too busy and still flying such aeroplanes (which I probably will be) when I tick the right boxes I may re-apply.
Other people have said similar things, I was just more vocal. Presumably other people were just turned down and went off to do something else and haven't posted here.
I've not "lambasted the system", I've said repeatedly that it's an excellent system, but that I personally felt that in one area it was being a bit inflexible and that this affected me personally. I have tried about 3 times to just say "okay, I'll leave it now and just go and do other stuff", but people do keep prodding and I then have the choice to either respond and seem bloodyminded, or appear to be rudely sulking in the corner.
G