Postal counties to be dropped from the Postcode Address
 

On 08/08/2010 01:04, Mizter T wrote:

On Aug 7, 10:50 pm, wrote:

1996 is a logical date for the change. It's when the estuarial counties
created in 1974 (Avon, Humberside& Cleveland) were abolished, as far as
local government was concerned anyway.

Yes, although local government still has concerns with organisations
that cover those former counties, in the form of fire and police
forces for example...

Humberside was perhaps a little unusual in that no-one (apart from maybe
some councillors) loved it, and few people (as opposed to databases)
used the word in their addresses. If Britain lasts a thousand more years
people will still be arguing about Middlesex, but no-one cares about
Humberside now we've all had chance to dance on its grave.

(my dad tried to by one of the Humberside road signs, on the basis that
perhaps no-one would try to preserve one, but the council weren't really
geared up for selling them!)

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

Postal counties to be dropped from the Postcode Address File
 

Postal counties to be dropped from the Postcode Address File
 

On Aug 8, 9:15*pm, Steve Fitzgerald ] wrote:

In message Xrl7o.19723$Ai7.18779@hurricane, Richard J.
writes:

There is a name associated with each one* that explains its place in
the numerical order (because the numbers are based on alphabetical
order of the associated names), but I wouldn't go so far as to say that
each postcode *has* a name.

It would cause confusion for an address in Leadenhal Street EC3 to give
also the associated name for EC3 which is Fenchurch Street. *Is the E16
area still known as Victoria Docks, which is its associated name?

According to mail I receive from certain parties, yes I live in Victoria
Docks!

What's the water like?

[OT] Postal counties to be dropped from the Postcode Address
 

Roy Badami wrote:

1996 is a logical date for the change. It's when the estuarial counties
created in 1974 (Avon, Humberside& Cleveland) were abolished, as far as
local government was concerned anyway.

I think that's somewhat coincidental. The Royal Mail has never really
cared if their postal counties are out of date with respect to local
government areas.

Not sure about "never" - they did implement most of the English changes in
1974 (apart from Greater Manchester, whilst they partitioned Humberside and
Hereford & Worcester; in the 1960s they ignored the changes in & around
Greater London bar moving Potters Bar) and gave a one year overlap period
before making the new couties mandatory.

I think the change is more to do with modernisation of the post office's
sorting systems - with more reliance on the postcode than other elements
of the address.

Yes - the increased use of optical recognition systems altered what was
considered necessary. I think the timing was just a coincidence, although
the Royal Mail couldn't have been enamoured with the subtle differences (for
the layman) between the 1980s reforms when the lieuteancy areas were
retained in the likes of Merseyside and Tyne & Wear and the 1990s ones when
even the lieutenancies were abolished for the likes of Avon and Humberside.
The precise arrangements for how services were divided up was even more
complicated.

Postal counties to be dropped from the Postcode Address File
 

In message , at 07:05:47
on Sun, 8 Aug 2010, remarked:
http://abcounties.co.uk/bpa/bpasection3.htm

Generally seems to be towns with the same name as the county, plus
other towns deemed large and famous enough to not need a county.

I like how that page dutifully lists all the London postcodes and the
olde counties that they're in - though I'm sure that many postcodes
straddle the old boundaries so presumably it's what the county the
majority of the postcode sits in that the author has used.

And guess what - It has Romford (N), Essex. One of the towns that
keeps coming up in the discussion.

It seems very inconsistent with the (N) designation in Essex for some
reason. Both Chelmsford (it is the County town at least) and Colchester
are also so designated.

I'd expect Chelmsford because it's the county town (incidental to it
also being the site of the mail depot). They also have "large towns" of
which Colchester and Southend are the obvious ones. Not sure why Ilford
escaped the net.
--
Roland Perry

Postal counties to be dropped from the Postcode Address File
 

On Sun, 8 Aug 2010, Roland Perry wrote:

In message
, at
12:59:09 on Sat, 7 Aug 2010, Mizter T remarked:
http://abcounties.co.uk/bpa/bpasection3.htm

Generally seems to be towns with the same name as the county, plus other
towns deemed large and famous enough to not need a county.

I like how that page dutifully lists all the London postcodes and the
olde counties that they're in - though I'm sure that many postcodes
straddle the old boundaries so presumably it's what the county the
majority of the postcode sits in that the author has used.

And guess what - It has Romford (N), Essex. One of the towns that keeps
coming up in the discussion.

It's not a town, and it's not in Essex!

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

Postal counties to be dropped from the Postcode Address File
 

On Mon, 9 Aug 2010, Roland Perry wrote:

In message , at 07:05:47 on
Sun, 8 Aug 2010, remarked:
http://abcounties.co.uk/bpa/bpasection3.htm

Generally seems to be towns with the same name as the county, plus
other towns deemed large and famous enough to not need a county.

I like how that page dutifully lists all the London postcodes and the
olde counties that they're in - though I'm sure that many postcodes
straddle the old boundaries so presumably it's what the county the
majority of the postcode sits in that the author has used.

And guess what - It has Romford (N), Essex. One of the towns that
keeps coming up in the discussion.

It seems very inconsistent with the (N) designation in Essex for some
reason. Both Chelmsford (it is the County town at least) and Colchester
are also so designated.

I'd expect Chelmsford because it's the county town (incidental to it
also being the site of the mail depot). They also have "large towns" of
which Colchester and Southend are the obvious ones. Not sure why Ilford
escaped the net.

Because it's in London :).

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

[OT] Postal counties to be dropped from the Postcode AddressFile
 

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

Postal counties to be dropped from the Postcode Address File
 

On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 15:03:48 +0100
Tom Anderson wrote:
On Sun, 8 Aug 2010, Roland Perry wrote:

In message
, at
12:59:09 on Sat, 7 Aug 2010, Mizter T remarked:
http://abcounties.co.uk/bpa/bpasection3.htm

Generally seems to be towns with the same name as the county, plus other
towns deemed large and famous enough to not need a county.

I like how that page dutifully lists all the London postcodes and the
olde counties that they're in - though I'm sure that many postcodes
straddle the old boundaries so presumably it's what the county the
majority of the postcode sits in that the author has used.

And guess what - It has Romford (N), Essex. One of the towns that keeps
coming up in the discussion.

It's not a town, and it's not in Essex!

While its essentially a london suburb now, technically it is still both.

B2003

Postal counties to be dropped from the Postcode Address File
 

In message . li, at
15:14:58 on Mon, 9 Aug 2010, Tom Anderson
remarked:
I'd expect Chelmsford because it's the county town (incidental to it
also being the site of the mail depot). They also have "large towns"
of which Colchester and Southend are the obvious ones. Not sure why
Ilford escaped the net.

Because it's in London :).

It's no different from Romford in that respect.
--
Roland Perry