[nialli]

We had been Virgin customers for a similar spell to the OP - signed up to NTL in the mid-90s. Never permitted a dish on our property and reluctant to be a direct Murdoch customer, we were loyal to VM and quite enjoyed the annual price negotiation phone marathon to get a decent deal. The most we ever paid was £140/m for the full package but for the past ten years I'm managed to keep it under £100/m without sacrificing anything.
But the last few years have been a nightmare of broken promises and sub-standard services. I'll spare you the details but this year's price rise and revised T&Cs were the final straw.
Out of contract, we signed up for Sky Stream and Broadband in May. The pucks turned up next day, OpenReach connected a broadband line within two weeks - Sky picked up the installation cost. No FTTP here yet but we get a rock solid 68Mbps which more than meets our needs for streaming TV and music services.
For 18 months we pay £13/m for the broadband and £73/m for the TV services. Virgin's final offer was their "enormous bol*ocks" package (or whatever they call it) and £164/m with annual increases baked in. When I asked the guy to check that number, it shot up to over £200/m! I'd had enough and cancelled.
The Sky Stream service has been brilliant - no buffering, crystal clear picture and sound, exceptional. Can't fault it. Highly recommended.
We'll never, ever sign up with VM again.