OzzyOzBorn
Your post 1686 sums up my own feelings about the place, I came back through today with no hassle, though I do find it run down (I am usually using T1) and have only been through T2 a couple of times and find it a little uninspiring. However the lifts and escalator's were working today and fast track inbound got me landside and out of car park in 45 min which is good. With regards to security it is a thankless task, and not helped when the airport has a lot of bucket and spade travelers who may only do one or two flights a year so you have the issues of liquids in bags etc as it is something they are not used on a regular basis. Overall as you say not the best or worst but definitely getting tired in an infrastructure sense and I have done a good many airports world wide like others posting many in less well off countries which are significantly better than Manchester.
Hovis
The belt thing seems to be a Manchester preoccupation as some other airports do not seem to bother and the same with shoes depending on shoe design.
Cheers
Mr Mac