The North / South divide is already a pretty contentious subject at the best of times, but a tweet’s gone viral this week that really seems to have got people riled up.
It’s a debate that’s been going on for decades – where does the North and South of England begin?
With no literal line drawn to distinguish between the two, this does mean there’s no official ruling of which cities, towns, and villages are northern, and which are southern – and then there’s the added concept of the Midlands chucked in there too, so it’s no wonder it’s a topic of conversation that causes so much confusion.
Of course, geography would tell you that cities like Newcastle, Middlesbrough, and Carlisle are indisputably northern, while it would be quite tricky to class London, Brighton, and Oxford as anything other than southern – but for other places, it’s not so easy.
Us Mancs pride ourselves on being northern and proud of it, but according to woman responsible for a map that’s gone viral Twitter this week, Manchester is actually part of the Midlands.
Taking to Twitter to share her thoughts on where the North and South begins, Michelle Bayly – who says she is from Northumberland – wrote: “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.
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“There’s also a middle…the midlands. Be the midlands. North of London doesn’t mean North.”
She also shared a map of the UK with two red lines drawn showing what she thinks the North, the Midlands, and the South are to further drive home her point – with major cities like Liverpool, Sheffield, Salford, and Hull joining Birmingham, Northampton, Norwich, and Nottingham in the Midlands.
“Is this a joke? How do you not think Sheffield and Manchester are in the north?,” one angry person wrote on Twitter
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“Lol imagine complaining that Londoners don’t know where the north is and then putting out a map that puts Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield in the midlands – incredible stuff,” another confused person said in response.
A third added: “I think the idea that Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Hull aren’t in the North is slightly mad.”
Woman causes controversy for claiming what ‘the North’ is – and Manchester’s not included / Credit: Wikipedia Commons
Another person added definitively: “Chester, Liverpool, Salford, Manchester, Sheffield, Doncaster, Bradford, Leeds, and Hull are all in the north of England.”
Someone else gave their opinion on the matter: “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.”
One person seemed to sum up the thoughts of most in response to Michelle’s question of “Can we all agree that…” best though, simply commenting: “No, I’m afraid we can’t.”
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After presumably having lots of angry people in her mentions, Michelle decided to take a different approach on the North / South divide – writing as a follow-up to her initial tweet: “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).”
We don’t know if this makes things better or worse? We’ll let you be the judge of that.
Featured Image – Michelle Bayly (via Twitter)
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Adventurous Mancs needed to take part in next series of BBC’s Race Across the World
Emily Sergeant
Are you a fan of travelling? Got a bit of a competitive streak in your nature? Well, this might just be your calling then.
The BBC is, once again, casting for the next series of Race Across the World.
The BAFTA-winning hit show draws in thousands of viewers each week, and now producers are on the look-out for ‘intrepid duos’ of all ages who reckon they’re ready to take a step into the unknown, and embark on an epic race across land and sea for the next seried – and that includes Greater Manchester residents.
With applications for the next series of the massively-popular show now open, nomadic Mancs are being encouraged to take part.
On a limited budget and away from the luxuries of modern technology and conveniences, those lucky applicants selected to take part in the next series will get the chance to experience life in some of the world’s most beautiful and remote locations.
Adventurous Mancs are needed to take part in the next series of Race Across the World / Credit: BBC
Navigating their way across thousands of miles, they’ll travel through spectacular scenery and dynamic cities, visit ancient wonders, learn local customs, and take part in time-honoured traditions.
But, as producers are keen to point out, ‘the physical journey is only half of the story’. That’s because, as the contestants take on the challenge of travelling across the world, the greatest thing they’ll discover along the way could actually be about themselves and one another.
Putting out a UK-wide casting call on the BBC website this week, producers Studio Lambert wrote: “We are now accepting applications for the next series of Race Across the World. This experience is open to all, whether you’re a seasoned traveller or total novice.
“We want to hear what undertaking a trip like this would mean to you, and with a cash prize at stake, what lengths you would go to to win.”
Fancy it then? Applications for the next series of Race Across the World are now open for anyone over 18 years of age, with a deadline date of 29 March 2026, and you can find out more information and apply via the BBC website.
VAR audio requested as Nottingham Forest prepare complaint after Man City defeat
Danny Jones
Nottingham Forest have requested that the VAR audio from their game against Manchester City be released, as they are considering launching a formal complaint following the defeat.
Forest hosted Man City at home this past weekend and went on to lose 2-1.
However, Sean Dyche’s side are said to be ‘extremely unhappy’ with some of the refereeing decisions made by first official, Rob Jones, on the day.
As a result, they are now asking the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to share some of the conversations between on-pitch officials and the VAR team at Stockley Park in West London.
"I'm scratching my head and I can't believe it!" 😳
Sean Dyche wasn't happy with the officiating in their loss to Man City 😬
As you can see, Dyche initially said that “there’s no point” in pushing the refs on their performance, as he feels they usually only “get in trouble”, but it looks as though his employers have advocated for him.
Nottingham Forest had a problem with the final call in a number of instances during the festive fixture on Saturday, 27 December, but none more so than in one key moment.
The manager and his coaching team felt that Rayan Cherki’s 83rd-minute winner should have been cancelled out following a foul by Nico O’Reilly on Morgan Gibbs-White in the preceding corner, which may have prevented Cherki from scoring another decisive finish.
Dyche also argued that another City defender, Ruben Dias, was due a second yellow card and therefore dismissal from the pitch for a challenge after the break, but there was ultimately nothing doing.
You can see the collision here:
"I do have sympathy for Sean Dyche… it is a second yellow card!"
Ref Watch discuss whether Ruben Dias should have been sent off against Nottingham Forest. pic.twitter.com/dxTYmGsEqZ
According to Sky Sports News, Nottingham have already requested more information from the refereeing body, with this not being the first time they’ve felt hard done by.
As they put it, the hope/belief is that raising the issue could help “start a broader discussion around officiating this season.”
What do you make of Forest’s concerns against Manchester City, and do you think they’re worthy of launching an official complaint against the PGMOL and Premier League?
You can see the highlights from the game and perhaps decide for yourself down below.
Emily Sergeant -
7th March 2023 
