To be annoyed at people who live in a London Borough but insist they don't (i.e Im in Surrey, Kent etc)

[Rosehip10]

As in people in places such as Richmond, Kingston (insisting they live in Surrey) or places such as Bromley (insisting they are in Kent).

These places may used to have in a different county but have been part of greater London and a London Borough since 1965.

Is is snobbery? They usually drone only about postal towns which also no longer exist.

They aren't the address police

I think they are. Backed up by me of course!

We are never going to agree on this. I think they have absolute authority on this, you don't.

And an address given on order to allow someone to find you is different to a postal address. The former is information to be given in whatever way is most likely to be useful to the recipient. The latter is fixed data given to fit a specific purpose, that of postal delivery.

I really am enjoying this immensely. It's hilarious.

The People's Liberation Force of Middlesex are very much alive.

There is still a Middlesex County Cricket team, a Middlesex University and a West Middlesex Hospital

Yes, and we still have Persian carpets and Siamese cats. But Persia and Siam are no more. It's not unusual for institutions to be named after the place they used to be located in, even if that place has been renamed, ceased to exist, or they have moved. So what.

Middlesex is dead. It no longer exists. Hasn't done for 54 years. I don't care if someone says they live in Stanmore Middlesex. They don't. They live in Stanmore, HA7. Middlesex in a postal address is wrong. Regardless of how many official institutions still use it. They are all wrong.

No amount of people saying it's right makes it right. Because it's wrong. People are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts.

@Paddington68 - they shall rise up with Surrey, Kent and Essex to trap actual London within its narrow streets and reclaim their county heritage.

I think it is important if you live somewhere. Possibly sentimental. I've lived in Middlesex all my life so it exists to me and we always use the county address.

We are also particular about railway tracks in local areas relating to geographical areas😊

Middlesex in a postal address is wrong

Except it isn't because Royal Mail say:

"If, however, you'd prefer to include a county name, you are welcome to do so."

As you say, people are entitled to their own opinions but not their own facts.

The area within the historic county of Middlesex still very much exists. The fact that a specific local government body is no longer attached to the area has not caused Middlesex to vanish into thin air. 'Middlesex' is a word in common everyday use with a commonly understood meaning therefore it is a concept that exists. That is how language works. Stanmore, Middlesex conveys where Stanmore is. Stanmore, HA7 doesn't.

Similarly there is no longer a state called Persia, but the area referred to by the word 'Persia' still exists. Places change name because of consensus of the inhabitants. There is no consensus in Middlesex that Middlesex doesn't exist.

I really am enjoying this immensely. It's hilarious.

Glad to give you some light relief.

I am imagining that you live in constant fear of disobeying the authority of the Royal Mail!

I feel like I've wandered into Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson, there's a bit in there about counties and postcodes and road numbers and how there's always a strict system but basically it's also total nonsense at the same time (I'm paraphrasing here.)

I lived in Epping for a while and it is definitely not London but it still has an Underground station. That was weird. in my mind the tube shouldn't go past the M25.

I mean it must be like that in other cities in the UK which have swallowed counties?

@shadesofgreytoo

Many people who live on the Wirral insist they are in Cheshire still.

Exactly

"If, however, you'd prefer to include a county name, you are welcome to do so."

I read the subtext of that as "But it is utterly pointless to do so as it isnt part of the correct address. But if you really can't let go of an outmoded and pointless inclusion then of course we're still going to deliver it but we are mocking you as we go"

The fact is that counties are not part of the correct address. RM are saying you can be incorrect of you want but you're still using the address incorrectly.

I have no fear of RM! I just like things that have a clearly correct format as determined by the data controller to be used correctly. Anything else is just irritating. Like people writing London phone numbers with the gap after the 7, 8 or 3 instead of before it.....

@shadesofgreytoo

They aren't though as of 1974 and that is a snobbery thing as there was a dislike of "Merseyside" from some.

It's the same in Greater Manchester - which decades ago was split into Lancashire and Cheshire before a Greater Manchester was created.

People in parts of Tameside, Stockport and Trafford trying to still make out they live in Cheshire... no, you pay your Council tax to Tameside, Stockport, Trafford councils which are one of the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester... if you lived in Cheshire you would be paying Council tax to Cheshire East, Cheshire West, or Chester 🙄🙄.

Same with areas such as Hale and Altrincham - very much Trafford not Cheshire no matter how posh and Cheshire like!

Aaaagh. I can't believe people are still arguing that Bromley is in Kent. It's the LONDON Borough of Bromley. Why have I been paying the Olympic levy on my council tax hit all these years if I'm not in London!

Hit... should be for. Sorry

@bohemia14 Yes of course it is, but according to some on this thread, where you actually live is about how you "feel" or want rather than the hard facts!

I suppose we should be grateful we don't live in Europe like Alsace Lorraine which sometimes was in Germany then France. That would be confusing

Mileywiley although I now live in the areas this thread is about I grew up with an sk postcode and 100% tell people I was Mancunian not from Cheshire but I would be told it’s not proper Manchester.

according to some on this thread, where you actually live is about how you "feel" or want rather than the hard facts!

No, it's about communication. Middlesex conveys meaning. HA7 doesn't. It's not simply about 'feeling' or 'identity' because Middlesex is a clearly defined area that can be pointed to on a map.

Most people have a vague idea of where a county is, even if it's just a historical county. It's doubtful that most people could identify a postcode outside their local area.

I’m sure I read a thread last year where the OP was really annoyed at people saying they lived in London when they didn’t and people responded with but I paid my council tax to London and live in xxx borough.

Does it really matter enough for you to be annoyed about it?

Good point Merry.

Physical map book helps me more than google maps in a similar way as you can see county boundaries

Agreed. And also about ‘belonging’ somewhere. If you were born in Middlesex or Surrey, that doesn’t change just because administrative boundaries have changed in the meantime. And your allegiance to the respective county cricket team say, will not change.

we are mocking you as we go

Where as I think of post people as benign friendly types who want to be helpful!