StoneyBridge - I find your wagging finger and the tone of your post patronising and it is such actions that start the contests you seem to want to avoid.
Whilst the 56 miles is an irrefutable fact - my slightly tongue in cheek reply to the previous poster is based on my experience which is what I use to inform my purchasing decisions. Whether it is MAN or LBA depends on a lot of factors but as LBA is the closest airport to 'chez moi' it will often come out as favourite.