South West v North West

[Greenacres]

I wasn't talking about TV regions, I was talking the former Government Office Regions.

As this map shows (similar to the one Shoddy found), Gloucestershire is in the South West region. As Cheltenham is in Gloucestershire then the town also falls into the South West region. The fact our aerial signal picks up Midlands Today is irrelevant. FWIW, my BBC signal is Midlands, but my ITV signal is very much Points West.

Interesting point made by Si, the tv regions in this area are very much Bristol/Birmingham focussed with the Gloucester/Stroud/Cheltenham areas being pretty irrelevant to them as we are largely on the edge of their broadcast area...and why would they care about us as most of their viewers will live in the cities where they are bases. I have never thought that local tv in this area was worth watching as they so rarely featured items about where I live.

I have always thought of this area as being the West Country, never South West, and definitely not the Midlands.

 

[Si Robin]

Central News South was ok - basically Swindon, Oxford, Gloucestershire and Hereford.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Interesting point made by Si, the tv regions in this area are very much Bristol/Birmingham focussed with the Gloucester/Stroud/Cheltenham areas being pretty irrelevant to them as we are largely on the edge of their broadcast area...and why would they care about us as most of their viewers will live in the cities where they are bases. I have never thought that local tv in this area was worth watching as they so rarely featured items about where I live.

I have always thought of this area as being the West Country, never South West, and definitely not the Midlands.

I think you're right there. There is a difference between West Country and South West. I live on the border of both, I can get both TV regions. I generally dont bother with BBC South West as they are fixated with some place down the A38.
Those regional maps are a bit random though, its difficult to suggest Hemel Hempstead is in the East of England.

 

[Camborne Gills]

Just as a matter of interest in your opinion where does the south west start?

I've always thought that Bournemouth, Salisbury, Swindon and up as far as Worcester as south west but Reading, Oxford Basingstoke and Southampton are the south.

I can accept having to change my views.

Casey

To me, the South West is the BBC region, which is Cornwall, Devon, South Somerset and West Dorset.

This means we don't get news from Bournemouth, Poole, Bristol, Bath or Weston SM for example.

 

[FGR Stroud]

I wasn't talking about TV regions, I was talking the former Government Office Regions.

As this map shows (similar to the one Shoddy found), Gloucestershire is in the South West region. As Cheltenham is in Gloucestershire then the town also falls into the South West region. The fact our aerial signal picks up Midlands Today is irrelevant. FWIW, my BBC signal is Midlands, but my ITV signal is very much Points West.

View attachment 13487

EDIT:- Here's the Wiki page on the English Regions - Regions of England - Wikipedia

Historically Cheltenham considered themselves more Midlands than West. Your team played in Midland based non-leagues for decades while FGR played in Gloucester based leagues. Thus only being 15 miles apart there were few games between the two teams.
Simon, you are on record as stating your REAL local derbies are Gloucester, Kidderminster and Hereford, teams that are all Midlands.

 

[Greenacres]

Kidderminster definitely feels like the Midlands, not just the accent of the locals when you hear them speak, it is less than 20 miles from there to places like Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

 

[shoddycollins]

I wasn't talking about TV regions, I was talking the former Government Office Regions.

As this map shows (similar to the one Shoddy found), Gloucestershire is in the South West region. As Cheltenham is in Gloucestershire then the town also falls into the South West region. The fact our aerial signal picks up Midlands Today is irrelevant. FWIW, my BBC signal is Midlands, but my ITV signal is very much Points West.

View attachment 13487

EDIT:- Here's the Wiki page on the English Regions - Regions of England - Wikipedia

I think the main determining factor with TV regions is whether your local news is covered by them. But TV regions aren't the main thing, our ITV region includes most of Cumbria (not Barrow I don't think) and then all of Southern Scotland and a few bits of Northumberland (Berwick for sure). Used to include the Isle of Man too till that got moved to Granada for some reason.

 

[Devon_Lad]

People around here get pissed off that Swindon is on our local news. I've never once heard Bournemouth on it though, there'd be civil unrest if they were included on our local news

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Shoddy don’t forget Torbaydos are top of NL.

Si is correct the official Government categorisation of the South West, and so used in ONS data is the seven counties. I commuted to Bournemouth for four years. It feels like the South East ( where I am originally from), but it is indeed technically in the SW.

The dominant team in the South West is clearly Exeter Chiefs. They are the only one not just in the top level of their sport, they totally dominate it in the UK and at the pinnacle in Europe. The rest of us are local community minnows by comparison. A fact I am happy with.

Nice thread by the way.

 

[shoddycollins]

Shoddy don’t forget Torbaydos are top of NL.

They were one of the 'teams included when I said about five of the eight automatic promotion places'

 

[Devon_Lad]

Shoddy don’t forget Torbaydos are top of NL.

Such a good song.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Shoddy don’t forget Torbaydos are top of NL.

Si is correct the official Government categorisation of the South West, and so used in ONS data is the seven counties. I commuted to Bournemouth for four years. It feels like the South East ( where I am originally from), but it is indeed technically in the SW.

The dominant team in the South West is clearly Exeter Chiefs. They are the only one not just in the top level of their sport, they totally dominate it in the UK and at the pinnacle in Europe. The rest of us are local community minnows by comparison. A fact I am happy with.

Nice thread by the way.

Torquay fans have complained to the BBC about the lack of coverage they get on Spotlight. Which I can sympathise with.
No idea why they cover Yeovil on Spotlight though as they receive Points West.

 

[Devon_Lad]

Torquay fans have complained to the BBC about the lack of coverage they get on Spotlight. Which I can sympathise with.
No idea why they cover Yeovil on Spotlight though as they receive Points West.

They get more coverage than we did when we were in the conference!

 

[Si Robin]

Historically Cheltenham considered themselves more Midlands than West. Your team played in Midland based non-leagues for decades while FGR played in Gloucester based leagues. Thus only being 15 miles apart there were few games between the two teams.
Simon, you are on record as stating your REAL local derbies are Gloucester, Kidderminster and Hereford, teams that are all Midlands.

Again, I was simply stating where we are as an official Government region.

I have never, ever, considered Kidderminster or Hereford a derby, only Gloucester. Gloucester is in Gloucestershire (shockingly I know) and Gloucestershire (as per Government Regions) is in the South West.

Is there any way at all I could make this clearer?

Also, I've not yet met a single Cheltonian who considers themselves from the Midlands.

 

[Devon_Lad]

We all know official government boundaries are meaningless. For example, everyone knows anyone who comes from anywhere north of Tiverton is in fact, a northerner.

 

[FGR Stroud]

Again, I was simply stating where we are as an official Government region.

I have never, ever, considered Kidderminster or Hereford a derby, only Gloucester. Gloucester is in Gloucestershire (shockingly I know) and Gloucestershire (as per Government Regions) is in the South West.

Is there any way at all I could make this clearer?

Also, I've not yet met a single Cheltonian who considers themselves from the Midlands.

I'm not disagreeing with you geographically but pointing out that historically Cheltenham have always looked north towards the Midlands.
As regards including Cheltenham within the title thread, I accept that your team should be included in the South West region even though all your fans live within the Midlands tv area.
And isn't it great to see both teams from Gloucestershire in the auto-promotion places.

 

[Si Robin]

I genuinely don't give a toss about FGR, but it's brilliant to see Cheltenham in them yes.

 

[FGR Stroud]

I genuinely don't give a toss about FGR, but it's brilliant to see Cheltenham in them yes.

Much the same as FGR fans feel towards Cheltenham but when FGR get promoted in May should Cheltenham finish above them they would still be happy with the promotion.
But I believe FGR will be sole team from Gloucestershire to be auto-promoted.

 

[Devon_Lad]

Much the same as FGR fans feel towards Cheltenham but when FGR get promoted in May should Cheltenham finish above them they would still be happy with the promotion.
But I believe FGR will be sole team from Gloucestershire to be auto-promoted.

No team from the Midlands (Gloucestershire) will be promoted this season. Automatically or via the play offs.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Now Carlisle have gone back above us can we consign this thread to the archive please?

 

[masi51]

Now Carlisle have gone back above us can we consign this thread to the archive please?

Carlisle are in the North

 

[Devon_Lad]

Carlisle are in the North

Really?????

 

[Casey]

Ahhh, but are Carlisle in the North or the North West?

I think we shud be told.

Casey

 

[masi51]

Ahhh, but are Carlisle in the North or the North West?

I think we shud be told.

Casey

Carlisle are in the north......as are Barrow

 

[Myblueheaven04]

Ahhh, but are Carlisle in the North or the North West?

I think we shud be told.

Casey

This is a debate i have with my other half.
We live in West Cumbria, not far from Carlise and she is born and bred West Cumbrian, I am a born and bred Oldhamer. Lived up hear nearly 12 years.
I say Carlise is north and Oldham is north west, she says she is north west and oldham is not true north west.
Any clearer lol

 

[masi51]

This is a debate i have with my other half.
We live in West Cumbria, not far from Carlise and she is born and bred West Cumbrian, I am a born and bred Oldhamer. Lived up hear nearly 12 years.
I say Carlise is north and Oldham is north west, she says she is north west and oldham is not true north west.
Any clearer lol

The north west goes from Morecambe bay in the north to Crewe in the South and indeed includes Oldham

 

[Myblueheaven04]

The north west goes from Morecambe bay in the north to Crewe in the South and indeed includes Oldham

So where is cumbria then in your view..... i say north my other half says the true north west

 

[masi51]

So where is cumbria then in your view..... i say north my other half says the true north west

Cumbria is Barrow, Workington......
The north west is Lancashire,Cheshire, Merseyside and Gt Manchester

 

[Myblueheaven04]

Cumbria is Barrow, Workington......
The north west is Lancashire,Cheshire, Merseyside and Gt Manchester

Ok then, if newcastle is the north east does that not make carlisle, workington etc the north west ?
If so that means the north west is from Crewe as you say up to carlisle

 

[shoddycollins]

This is a debate i have with my other half.
We live in West Cumbria, not far from Carlise and she is born and bred West Cumbrian, I am a born and bred Oldhamer. Lived up hear nearly 12 years.
I say Carlise is north and Oldham is north west, she says she is north west and oldham is not true north west.
Any clearer lol

I don't have a strong opinion on it. In terms of compass directions Cumbria is as north-west as you can get in England, but 99% of the time, anyone who says 'North West' on the telly they mean Lancashire and Cheshire (though sometimes not even the majority of Cheshire, just those bits near Manchester and Liverpool). Cumbria is clearly not part of the Manchester environs as evidenced by the amount of Newcastle fans you see knocking about and the similarity of dialects between Cumbria and the North East. Head down Kendal/Barrow way though and folks are a lot more Lancashire like in terms of their accents and their general attitudes to life.

Apparently the old government regions did used to include Cumbria alongside the North-East in a region just called 'North' and for BBC purposes we are in 'North East and Cumbria'.

When I say the North-West in this thread, I mean the footballing heartland, which we are not part of. When I say South-West I mean the part of the country where Bristol is the closest main city and where there historically haven't been many big football clubs... wherever you draw the boundaries of that.