Talk:Home Counties
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[edit] Not my home
My home is not in London or the South East so they are not "home" counties for me. I have no objection to people in London calling them that amongst themselves, but it does annoy me when people use the term in the national media. --Cap 17:53, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)
[edit] Explanation
Could someone provide a better explanation for the origin of the term? Why "home" counties, are these the counties where the "homes" of the London commuters are to be found? This is not entirely clear from the article. I'm asking because I don't know, and I didn't feel that this gave me the information I was looking for. This article is in fact number one on a Google search, so it should be more informative for the random surfer. 80.203.101.24 28 June 2005 04:03 (UTC)
- I finally found the explanation. This is backed up by the Oxford English Dictionary. The train journey/MP explanation might be correct, but the assize circuits predates that and was in fact the original meaning of the term. Eixo 10:58, 20 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] POV
I've moved this from the article because its POV. There are lots of places in the home counties that are neither conservative, prosperous or middle class at any level. Mrsteviec 15:43, 4 August 2005 (UTC)
The term Home Counties could be synonymous with a rather conservative, prosperous and upper middle-class attitude to life. It should be noted that some people may find use of the term a sign of a London bias.
[edit] Social and political meanings of "Home Counties"
The term Home Counties is often used to describe a social class that supposedly live in this economically successful region - i.e. people who are more fortunate than those in other parts of the UK.
The term can also be used in relation to the politics of the UK - the Home Counties are the Conservative Party's home ground. There is a sharp divide between a mostly Labour Party dominated London and the Home Counties.
I propose that two short paragraphs relating to the above points be written. I don't think the above wording is correct and may submit changes if I think of something better. Does anybody have any views/ improve on my wording?
Spike7
P.S. I hope I haven't opened a "class war!"
- As I live in the home counties and agree that it is conservative and a upper class area. That does not mean we are snobs and anyone who thinks that should visit the Home Counties to see what a good place it os
- RC
[edit] Possible Definition and Explanation?
I'm afraid I can't cite the source for this as it was back early 90's.
Basically the Home Counties were defined as all of the area outside urban London that could be reached within one hour by rail from the mainline terminii of London. Therefore 'MPs could attend a typical day at Westminster and still get home for each night'. It was suggested that living any further from London, the MP would have a central London residence for the weeknights and then return home only at the weekend. The origin of the phrase and definition in this sense was said to the MPs and Westminster staff.
Given it's the area is clearly dependant on the speed and patten of train services, I am unclear as to (how under this definition) where the outer boundaries of the area might have layn or how consumate to county borders (the traditional ones I would assume) they were. For example, the 'one hour travel zone' cuts Kent in half but I always understood the whole of Kent to be "a Home County". No clue was given as to when the definition was first made or whether it became static or fluid. Since the railways have reorganised and upgraded/downgraded numerous times since the 60's, I expect the one hour zone have changed, shrunk, and expanded quite a bit.
Personal I always took the Home Counties to definately include Kent, Sussex (East & West), Surrey, Essex, Herefordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. The inclusion of Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Bedfordshire was a matter of debate.
--Myfanwy 01:05, 24 April 2006 (UTC)
