Note that I started homebrewing, in the UK, just after they say it all went to heck (winter '89-'90; I was soon to come back Stateside and wanted to learn to keep myself in good beer as I’d become accustomed.) There were some decent shops around London; my go-to was The Beer Shop in Pitfield, Shoreditch, a bottle shop and homebrew supply connected to the Pitfield microbrewery. Guess this actually points up the transition they mention, as the shop is long gone but the brewery has flourished.
This was a fantastic distraction. I always like hearing about people that are very concerned about the ABV of homebrew-the only drinking and driving I do is Mario Kart (Shy guy FTW!). Seems especially wonky in a country like England that always seems to have a great public transportation system. I’m so glad i grew up before the dark ages of homebrewing (apparently 1900-2000).