ATC of old, mostly in the '80s and '90s
I should say that my memorable and undesirable ATC excursions were the exception. At other times generally business like and we all just got on within the old fashioned way prescribed by the union and the upper echelons in charge. However there were the odd slip ups between ATC and Flight Service handovers, after one such handover ex ML Departures given traffic by FS in the same cloud, altitude and position. ATC used to call the Flight Service officers 'smellies', I expect it made them feel so superior. We really liked the FSOs.
On occasion terrific help was encountered, eg charters when timing for flights was critical or on one memorable VFR flight into MB given special VFR ("instructor request" was the informal key) when it was closed to IFR. Also especially helpful were the Met Bureau types who would at times tell me that the forecast wasn't quite right for my flight and he'd give me a better wind.
We could write books.