I, too, have been doing the Wee Stinker for many years. My first T-shirt, therefore, has the word "Glasgow" before "Herald" emblazoned on it. Unfortunately, my dear wife decided to put it in the wash along with a purple dress of hers. The T-shirt came out a lovely shade of lavender. I related this sad tale to a work colleague whose husband I knew was another Stinker devotee, having won a couple of shirts at that time. The next day she presented me with a pristine shirt from her (now late) husband. What a kind man. I never met him but, like me, he had been offered money for a T-shirt. His reply was that they were not for sale. They had to be earned. (I agreed with the sentiment at the time but have since become less precious and have given a T-shirt, gratis, to someone who had previously offered me £50 for one. The main reason I still enter is because it annoys him if he sees my name in the list of winners).
Like many, I lament the move from a Monday to a Saturday. I have also found the crossword less challenging recently (as have many, presumably, looking at the reduction of help requests on this forum. Perhaps the previously mentioned website with all the answers has contributed to that reduction too).
I am, however, sceptical about the conspiracy theory that Myops is capitulating to a diktat to dumb down the crossword. Maybe he isn't trying as hard as before, possibly coasting towards retirement or, perhaps, his best work is behind him (i.e. like all of us he's getting older. Would you rather to listen to Paul McCartney's last album or his classic Beatles work?)