Superbly put Shed, couldn't have said it any better, your views mirror mine 100%.
Just booked flights to NYC, could have saved £100 by going via LHR, but why run the risk? Friends did that last month and whilst they got to New York, their bags didn't. That happened to me the last time I used LHR long-haul, bags didn't make the shuttle flight back to MAN after flying all around the globe.
I try to use MAN whenever I can, occasionally LPL for the odd weekend away. But if MAN can't do the trip in one hop, they certainly can via AMS, CDG, FRA, MUC and DXB.
That isn't localism, its just being sensible.