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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder why people increasingly refer to places not in London as 'in London'

532 replies

redpipe · 15/12/2013 11:23

I genuinely don't understand why people say they live in London when in fact they live in a town within the M25.
Croydon is not in London is it? Nor is Kingston. I never remember people referring to these towns as London years ago. Is this a new thing?

OP posts:
ChippyMinton · 15/12/2013 11:29

Why are you bothered?
and both those places are London boroughs Hmm

hardboiledpossum · 15/12/2013 11:30

I think of croydon and Kingston as London they both have 0208 numbers which I think of as outer London.

Do you consider Richmond London?

redpipe · 15/12/2013 11:31

No hardboiledpossum I think of Richmond as in Surrey.

OP posts:
AngryFeet · 15/12/2013 11:31

They are London boroughs. I live in croydon but never say I live in London though. Everything in the m25 is greater london.

WelshMaenad · 15/12/2013 11:32

I'm from the Valleys. I consider everything east of the M4 Reading turnoff 'London'.

eurochick · 15/12/2013 11:32

As others have said, they are London Boroughs. There is more to London than just the West End.

hardboiledpossum · 15/12/2013 11:33

I always say London. I don't think of Richmond as surrey.

bamboostalks · 15/12/2013 11:34

What about places that have a tube station? Some of those can be very far out, yet they're on the network. What about Cockfosters, Edgware? Amber sham cannot be London surely?

formerbabe · 15/12/2013 11:34

Croydon is in London. It is a London Borough. It is just not central/inner London.

AnnBryce · 15/12/2013 11:36

Sutton, Croydon, Kingston, Richmond - all London boroughs but I grew up in the 'Surrey' school of thought. It's just out of habit I guess.

Vatta · 15/12/2013 11:37

If it's on the tube or has an 0208 number then I think it counts as London. Croydon, Richmond etc are all London.

sapfu · 15/12/2013 11:37

Oh I'm with you redpipe.

I know someone in Richmond who insists she lives in London. It's in fucking SURREY. Which is a county. As is London (I think).

Just because you're on the tube network or use cockney rhyming slang or your local newsagent sell The Standard, it does not mean you live in London. It's geographical, innit.

lol at WelshMaenad

redpipe · 15/12/2013 11:37

eurochick
obviously there is more to London than the west end but surely Bromley is in Kent not in London and Croydon is in Surrey not London.

OP posts:
AmberLeaf · 15/12/2013 11:37

A lot of 'croydon' is in Surrey, has a non london postcode, but is within the London borough of croydon.

It's not really London, it's only croydon because its in that borough IYSWIM?

Canthaveitall · 15/12/2013 11:37

Some people refer to the place as being in surrey or kent etc if they go by the postcode. Others refer it as London if they go by the borough. Unless I lived in a London postcode I wouldn't describe it as London even if it were within a London borough. But I wouldn't care of someone else did.

AnnBryce · 15/12/2013 11:37

Morden is at the end of the Northern Line, it's always been Morden in Surrey for me!

redpipe · 15/12/2013 11:38

WelshMaenad
Grin

OP posts:
500internalerror · 15/12/2013 11:38

If the postcode starts with N, S, E or W then it's London!

hardboiledpossum · 15/12/2013 11:39

Ammersham isn't in a London borough though, it is bucks. Richmond is considered a London borough. Where do you live op?

redpipe · 15/12/2013 11:39

But if you were addressing a letter to Croydon it would clearly say Surrey not Surrey/London wouldn't it Grin

OP posts:
AmberLeaf · 15/12/2013 11:40

Yes the postcode would be CRX XXX and it would be Surrey def not London

ScarletLady02 · 15/12/2013 11:40

PMSL - my DH is from South East London and gets really annoyed at people who say they're from SE London like some badge of honour when they're actually from Croydon....or even worse BROMLEY!

I can hear him now "BROMLEY'S IN KENT!!!!"

He goes by postcodes as that's how a lot of Londoners (ones he knows anyway) tend to identify themselves. Croydon does not have a London (as in SW, SW, EC etc) postcode so according to him it's not in London Grin

He will accede to "Greater London Borough" though.....just.

AnnBryce · 15/12/2013 11:40

I'd say Richmond is as close to London out of all them though. I'd probably let her off.

AmberLeaf · 15/12/2013 11:41

Mind you, Downham which is in Lewisham borough, has a BR postcode, Bromley it aint!

Canthaveitall · 15/12/2013 11:41

I agree with you but I think some people go by the borough or just like the whole 'I live in London don't you know' thing.