Pulpit or no pulpit?

I have just returned from our District Local Preachers meeting and the district chair posed an interesting question towards the end of the meeting in respect of the use of pulpits.
He told the meeting that in a number of churches he had been to recently and used the pulpit for the sermon people has said to him it was the first time the pulpit had been used for ages.
Now before anyone stones me I have to admit it was not a thing I had really thought about and from what other were saying there has been and still is in some places that if the person leading worship did so from the lectern or other place in the church they would then move to the pulpit where a church has both.
Our chair asked us to see what people thought/did so over to you readers - what is your experience?