On Sat, 7 Aug 2010, Roland Perry wrote:

In message K7c7o.13937$Ai7.4940@hurricane, at 13:15:40 on Sat, 7 Aug 2010,
Roy Badami remarked:
I know that Cambridge, where I live, was on the list - i.e. you've always
been able to write just "Cambridge" rather than "Cambridge, Cambs." and I
rarely-to-never see anyone include the "Cambs." in an address here.

But I've always wondered what the general rule is as to when the county is
omitted. Is it basically County Towns (such as Cambridge, county town of
Cambridgeshire), plus those of the modern metropolitan counties (e.g.
Manchester as effectively the County Town of Greater Manchester), plus of
course London, which is a bit of a special case (in lots of ways).

Or is it more complicated or arbitrary than that?

It's very simple, there's a list of "Post Towns", and everyone should be
aware of the one where they live. A long time ago the Post Office sent
postcards to everyone telling them, and it's the bit in CAPITALS if you get a
PAF-derived letter. The county has been optional for a long time.

Where I live, "NOTTINGHAM, Nottinghamshire" would look a bit odd,
especially as Nottinghasm is a unitary authority, and in that sense is
not part of Nottinghamshire!

Indeed, so you'd write 'Nottingham, Nottingham'. If it's good enough for
New York ...

tom

--
I don't know what a ceilidh is and I dread to ask. I'm picturing some kind
of mechanical contraption with dildos attached to pistons. -- Jonathan M