England's north-south divide: an academic exercise?

Simon Jenkins' column in today's Guardian pours scorn on this week's research from Sheffield University suggesting that Hereford is really in the north and Lincoln in the south.

Jenkins suggests spurious stories like this confirm that our universities aren't short of money. He is surely right to suggest that it's ridiculous to equate geographical identity to wealth.

I've enjoyed getting to know northern England (and Scotland) better over recent years, first on my Land's End to John O'Groats bike ride, then through spending time with my job in Leeds, Chester and Liverpool. But I remember a university friend from Carlisle mocking the idea that Leeds was really in the north!

Comments

[Stuart Bruce - Wolfstar]

Your friend in Carlisle is right. I grew up near Newcastle and from 13 in West Cumbria. Despite living in Leeds for nearly 20 years, it's still down south to me.