I think mine was 1998, flying with some friends to Paris for the football World Cup. We were doing it on the cheap so left Norfolk in the early hours and got to T4 far too early having left ample time, then slept in chairs for a while before check-in opened.
As we were going out close to the start of the tournament, not watching England games, and Scotland had also qualified with matches in the capital there were a large number of Scottish fans on board - I think their opening match was later that day.
Of course there was no BoB, and even at that time of the morning the atmosphere was boisterous with the alcohol flowing extremely freely in ET. If the flight was return catered there certainly wouldn’t have been many single malt miniatures left for the trip back ...! One guy certainly consumed at least three during the flight and was given more to take away with him, so things have certainly changed.
What struck me most was just how attentive, skilled and empathetic the cabin crew members were - so it’s long been a trait.
My next BA flight? 2012, following the BD takeover. It took me a while to be converted ...