Well I never, that’s where that town is!

[CormoranStrike]

I have spent fifty years - okay, cumulatively probably just fifty minutes - being utterly convinced Exeter was near Cambridge.

Today I had to check it in a map! Who knew? It’s kind of a Torquay/Plymouth way.

My world is tilting in its axel.

Anyone have other random finds like this?

Glastonbury is definitely in Scotland. How can it not be. I was about 15 when I found out it is, in fact, in Somerset.

You can't blame people for not knowing where Rutland is. Doesn't it have the dubious honour of having been part of more counties than any other place? I think it is a county of its own now.

When I was in my teens and early 20s,I thought that Exeter was in the south east,near Kent. I think the best 'mistaken location' that I've heard of was when I was at college,aged 18. The Falklands war had just started,and a girl in my tutor group asked where the Falklands were. Her friend said 'Off the coast of Scotland,near the Shetland Isles'. I think she was getting them confused with the Orkney Islands.

Off the coast of Scotland,near the Shetland Isles'. I think she was getting them confused with the Orkney Islands

Orkney and Shetland are not that near, the ferry takes nearly 8 hours from one to the other. And no, before anyone asks - no you can’t drive. Or take the train.

Yes to Pontefract being in Wales.

I always thought Camber Sands was in Essex and Canvey Island was on the south coast.

Sheerness sounds like it should be on the North East Coast.

Thought the Faroe Islands were in the South Pacific until about 3 years ago!

Oh and learnt from Mumsnet that Guyana isn't in Africa!

I found out this week that Brunei isn't in the Middle East. No idea why I thought it was, I felt so daft.

WingingItSince1973 how is that possible since the Irish Sea separates the 2 Bangors?

I am flabbergasted at all this as I have a weird capacity to know where places are.

But then again I REALLY like looking at a map. Sometimes I just pootle on Google Maps.

So we're all a bit strange.

@Ohffs66 I think it’s an easy mistake to make; Brunei has a sultan, which I always think of as an Arabic thing, and it doesn’t sound so different to Bahrain.

I always thought pontefract was in wales cos it sounds like where fireman sam would live. Turns out it's in Yorkshire

@Megan2018 100% Pontefract should be in Wales!

Scunthorpe always sounds like it should be a seaside town.

Moscow is a hamlet in East Ayrshire in Scotland. It is on the A719 road some 4 miles east of Kilmarnock.

Gillingham - up north, maybe near Burnley or Blackburn or something.
Louth - in Scotland (it's Lincolnshire)
Also didn't realise Maidstone and Maidenhead were two different places (I've been to one off them but no idea which).

Louth also the smallest county in Ireland.

I know where Pontefract is but I think there's some kind of rift in space time that has put it in Yorkshire. That name does not belong in the Danelaw!

Years ago we went from Oxford to Edinburgh. We got to Manchester and they said 'almost there!' and DH and I looked at each other and said 'Eh, no, we're about half way'. There was a rather shocked silence.

What do you mean Pontefract isn't in Wales.
Are you sure ?

Mindblowing that Edinburgh is further west than Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol

There is a Crumlin in Dublin Ireland AlunWynsKnee and a Crumlin Road in Belfast.

There's a Bangor in Wales and in Northern Ireland.

The size of Northumbria gets me

I’m married to a Northumbrian. Northumbria is an ancient kingdom north of the river Humber. The county north of Newcastle is called Northumberland

I used to have an old encyclopedia from the 1940s (my dad's originally). That had counties that don't exist anymore - Salop is one I remember (it's Shropshire now apparently).
(not entirely where Shropshire is...)

(not entirely sure WHERE Shropshire is I meant to say)

On behalf of lots of us I’ll contact Ordnance Survey tomorrow and let them know about the Pontefract error on all of their maps.

(not sure why where was in capital letters)

Truro is the one that always gets me. Even though I know it’s not, I’m still sure it is in Scotland, not Cornwall! No idea why, but I can’t get my head around it.

I was very surprised to find Carshalton was fairly near me In the south east but I think I was confusing it with Carlisle.

@BigusBumus
I also always get a blank look when I say where we used to live...Rutland ( blank look). Between Leicester and Peterborough. (Still blank look). To the right hand side of Melton Mowbray....( they process this)
Then they reply ' Near Rutland Water?' Yes! ( Where the fuck did you think Rutland Water was?)