Talk:Midlands

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[edit] Boundaries

I've reverted to the previous wording which I think was reasonably balanced and added a little. Regional identity is not strong in England and TV coverage is an important element. As TV Ark ITV Midlands and the ITV Central Regional Statement (pdf) says, Central News South for the South Midlands covers Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Gloustershire and Herefordshire.

When I lived in Ledbury, I certainly didn't think the South West started a few km down the road at the Gloucestershire border and when I lived in Oxford I was surprised that the BBC local news was for London rather than the Midlands. --Cavrdg 08:12, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire are both considered to be southern counties. I don't even see how this is in discussion - it's fairly clear cut. It's like suggesting that Cheshire - which is universally acknowledged to be in the North is in the Midlands. It just...isn't! :)

I don't think any of these things are as clear-cut as you suggest. I don't know where you're based, but I lived 6 years in Oxford and 5 years in Gloucester, and the regional identity of both was really quite confused. Especially Gloucester, which regarded itself variously as part of the Marches (relating westwards), the West Midlands (relating northwards), the South Midlands (relating eastwards) and the West Country (relating southwards). Regional identity in England just isn't all that strong, and so the boundaries tend to be much more vague than we might like them to be. Vilcxjo 23:56, 10 November 2005 (UTC)

It's for that reason that I toned down the absolutist statements about Cheshire in the article. I don't know what the local perception is, but it's not uncommon to find the Mersey–Humber line being treated as the southern boundary of "Northern England", which would exclude Cheshire. In the circumstances, better to cover the options rather than say "this is right, that's wrong". Vilcxjo 01:59, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

Yep. Quite agree here. Midlands is a very vague term. There's no magical line between Crewe and Stoke, or between Tewkesbury and Evesham. Morwen - Talk 02:12, 26 November 2005 (UTC)

Right. The 1911 edition of encyclopedia britannica refers to Gloucestershire as being a "west midland" county. And Bedfordshire as being a "south midland" county. And Huntingdonshire as being an "east midland" county! It considers Cheshire in the north west. And it refers to Lincolnshire just as being an "eastern county", along with Norfolk/Suffok/Cambridgeshire. Morwen - Talk 02:23, 26 November 2005 (UTC)

this says the Midland counties are Glos, Oxon, Wilts, Berks, Surrey, Middlesex, Bucks, Herts, Beds, Northants, Hunts, Cambs, Rutland, Leics, Notts, Derbyshire, Staffs, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, which is probably the widest definition i've even seen (Wiltshire, really!) And Surrey!!! Morwen - Talk 14:34, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

As someone from Yorkshire, I would add that the position of Cheshire is often overshadowed by groups of left-wing Northerners abusing Cheshire for being wealthy and for its residents' speaking generally much more refined English than most counties in England. I expect that a few of the snobbier people in Cheshire might actually agree with them that it should be in the Midlands! However, Cheshire historically included Birkenhead, Stockport and even the southern part of the city of Manchester, around Wythenshawe. Seeing as the new counties linked bits of Lancashire and Cheshire together, it seems best to keep them together in the North. Epa101 (talk) 13:17, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

Although Stoke-on-Trent and the rest of North Staffs is lumped in with the West Midlands for government administrative convenience, the locals don't think of themselves as Midlanders but as Northerners. Visitors often comment that the conurbation 'feels' Northern (I've heard it described derisively as 'Coronation Street land'). I remember massive local annoyance when local TV coverage was switched from Manchester to Birmingham in the late 60s, and people always consider Manchester to be their nearest big city. Most people use Manchester airport rather than Birmingham. There's no sense of community with the Black Country at all. --80.176.142.11 (talk) 13:44, 4 June 2008 (UTC)