After living in that London for twenty odd years, I recently moved back to the area I grew up in. One of the best things about that is that I can go fishing again.
Brilliant, but things have definitely changed since I was away. Commercials existed back in my day, and I fished one occasionally, but they were the exception not the rule. Now it seems like they are everywhere... these are my observations:
1. Swims marked out clearly, with gravel or woodchip, and an expectation you will only fish in the marked swims.
2. Carp, carp everywhere... and for a lot of people carp fishing is the only fishing. There may be other fish in there but they are 'nuisance fish'.
3. I wasn't sure if I was catching carp or crucians and had to google what a F1 is... I see no reason for these to exist.
4. Bite alarms form a constant background noise.
5. In some lakes people could drive to their swims. I get that there are a lot of people with disabilities, and this is great for them, but seeing a car next to each swim just seems ridiculous.
Ultimately, it's not for me, and I did eventually find more 'natural' waters to fish, but I don't have a problem with Commercials existing - it's just preference. I don't like baked beans either, or superhero films, or women with drawn on eyebrows... but I have no problem accepting that people do like them, and they are doing something for someone... so why should it bother me.
And honestly, i won't say never to the carper thing. If you can find the right lake you can sit back, relax, enjoy the scenery, maybe read a book, while waiting for a big fish to give you a screaming bite. That's not a bad life either.