Someone suggested that ‘The North’ should only include places from Leeds and above, and it provoked an entertaining Twitter storm
When you think about the geography of England, where do you suppose ‘The North’ is? Turns out it’s a very controversial question, as Twitter user @MichelleBayly found out when she posted this…
Can we all agree that North is Leeds and above..? 😂
It’s really annoying seeing The North such and such company or something artsy North and for it to be in Birmingham etc. There’s also a middle…the midlands. Be the midlands. North of London doesn’t mean North. 😤 pic.twitter.com/9QbNwJ0RfK— Michelle Bayly (@MichelleBayly) March 4, 2023
The post went wildly viral, with nearly 3 million views, and it’s fair to say it was very controversial stuff! Let’s dive right into the replies…
1.
As someone from Birmingham I can assure you that there is nothing branded as ‘North’ here, we don’t even get an ‘x Midlands’, and we very much want to be Midlands but both northerners and southerners tend to deny the Midlands exists so this map is welcome.
— Jordan (@jordanbhx) March 4, 2023
2.
I think the idea that Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Hull aren’t in the North is slightly mad
— Steven James Lally (@stevenjlally) March 4, 2023
3.
More specific is a glacial definition: The North begins where the ice ended. pic.twitter.com/24yaRKElCT
— James Dyson (@dysonSK3) March 4, 2023
4.
A Mersey-Humber line almost works, though even that is a bit far north. Also, the line slicing Wales and East Anglia in half is just plain bonkers.
— Bob Walsh (@BobWalsh5) March 4, 2023
5.
No!?? Manchester and Liverpool and Blackpool and Sheffield too … are NOT the sodding Midlands. Just ask the people from there… they’re Northerners … from the north. Not the midlands or south or Scotland. 😤
— Ast 🖤🤍 🇺🇦☮️ (@JustAstrs) March 4, 2023
6.
When you hit this then you're in the north, it's somewhere near Bradford #fkingfreezing pic.twitter.com/0xUm1H3vKO
— Millen Brown (@millenbrownact) March 4, 2023
7.
On the one hand, having Liverpool in the South is bonkers.
But on the other, it's always sobering when you take the train from London to Edinburgh and realise that York is the *halfway* point.
— Jim Edwards (@Jim_Edwards) March 5, 2023
8.
The North starts around Watford
— Gavin Wren (@GavinWren) March 5, 2023
9.
Birmingham is the start of the north
— Josh 🇬🇧🏳️🌈 (@JoshSpears007) March 5, 2023
10.
You can't cut Yorkshire in half! And Manchester/Liverpool are definitely northern too. Move the 'north' line down to go through Sheffield and it's about right.
— David K Smith (@professor_dave) March 6, 2023
11.
Best example I can think of. The ancient kingdom of Northumbria. pic.twitter.com/MkJYJPhLjB
— Rick Leeming – Beaker (@BeakerRick) March 5, 2023
12.
In all seriousness it’s easier than that. The north begin with Cheshire and Yorkshire. Derbyshire and Staffordshire are midlands counties and have always had a distinctive identity going back hundreds of years!
— Jonathan Collett (@JonCollett) March 5, 2023
13.
I was born in Northampton, I am definitely not a southerner😂😂😂
— AMY 🦢 #HerGameToo (@amyclement94) March 6, 2023
14.
I blame the signs on the A1 that bear the words "The North" with a vague indication that it's somewhere on the road ahead.
— David Head (@DavidHeadViews) March 5, 2023
Michelle reassessed her position. Or the North’s position.
After deep thought and consultation I have decided to scrap my map of North, Middle and South and instead go with the popular opinion that if you have gravy on chips or scraps and mushy peas with fish and chips then you are Northern and if not then not (no matter the geography)
— Michelle Bayly (@MichelleBayly) March 5, 2023
Well that’s certainly cleared things up! What are your thoughts?
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Source @MichelleBayly Image Screengrab
