Depressing indeed considering you're the founding father of this once estimable thread.
The pre-covid trend of all the talent being shipped out to the provinces, as shown by reviews on other regional boards, seems to have accelerated and why wouldn't it have given the cost of staff living in London and the overheads the shops will have to pay. Only the settled old hags can afford to live here.
I've made some mental notes of places to try further out in 2022 but 'hybrid working' and Plan B haven't exactly worked in my favour.
Old hags is a bit harsh for some of the ladies (still) around!

Cheaper CoL in the provinces makes sense for the girls who were free to follow the cash.
If things improve and there's a greater return to office work then there's hope that the girls will return to the mixed nationality parlours and operations that still recruit.
The TCMs are pretty closed shop as are the Thais. The Leman St/Leytonstone lot seem to be leveraging social circles to recruit divorcees and friends from out of town to freshen their offerings and perk up trade, perhaps other Thais will do the same.
Could only dream that the Koreans and Filipinas would do the same.

My hopes are still alive (barely) because Skyline are still finding new girls and returners, and whilst they might not be revelations most are at least as (un)skilled and (in)attentive as elsewhere but in younger, fresher bodies.
Cricklewood and Kilburn establishments still seem to be finding non-Asian recruits, though their standards and pricing have always seemed more variable.
No one reports regularly on the West and SW London shops beyond Zone 2 especially those with non-Chinese staff, we could do with some updates.