Isn't the point though that new silvers aren't being informed of this? I was a lapsed silver (ok blue) for a while before getting back up to silver and had not been told by bmi about the lounge changes for silvers- as far as I recall. I only know about it from helpful FT posters.

In fact on my eticket it actually said- as a diamond club member you can use the lounge. The checkin person wasn't sure either and said ask at the lounge. In the end I had no time to ask at the lounge in LHR and had to go straight to the gate.