As I said "majority that I've visited". I don't doubt there are great independants out there who do great things for the hobby. There are two close to me with loads of gaming space- very nice places to be. At the same time there are 20+ independants in the area that I would never go to to get my model fix.

I think there's a great deal of difference between the UK and USA. From experience and from reading what other hobbyists say on forums, it seems as if GWs here are good places to go to get plastic soldiers, play games, get help etc whilst independants are a bit lame; and across the pond that seems reversed. Which seems a shame- you'd hope that all would be equal.

I've been doing GW stuff for 20 odd years now and I've always been happy going into GW stores. I've had my run ins with managers and overzealous staff, but those staff never seem to last long
Generally I have fun and still enjoy the hobby as much as I always have. Just wish I had more time for it!