Martin Edwards wrote:

A kind taxi driver in London, where I am not resident, once told me
the way to the street I needed, which was in walking distance. I
doubt whether the response from a minicab driver would have been the
same.

If he was on the front of a rank which he had taken some time to progress
through, then encouraging you to walk was self-interest rather than
altruism.

John B wrote:

(for m.t.u-t'ers, Middlesex hasn't existed for 44 years)

Middlesex exists, it just isn't recognised by the national government.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...0.3 2,,2,0.55

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...5. 18,,2,0.28

I understand that these signs were put up by Enfield Council less than 15
years ago. I'm not aware of any others.

On Jul 18, 3:05*pm, "Basil Jet"
wrote:
John B wrote:

(for m.t.u-t'ers, Middlesex hasn't existed for 44 years)

Middlesex exists, it just isn't recognised by the national government.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...7,-0.148702&sp...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...5,-0.138509&sp...

I understand that these signs were put up by Enfield Council less than 15
years ago. I'm not aware of any others.

Seems unlikely: councils aren't normally allowed to put up signs
conveying false information.

I imagine there are still signs in parts of Slovenia suggesting that
it's in Yugoslavia; I'm equally sure that these don't mean Yugoslavia
exists.

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org

In article , (Roland
Perry) wrote:

In message , at
20:52:15 on Fri, 17 Jul 2009, Tony Polson remarked:
There is a huge variation around the country in the local authorities'
requirements for minicabs.

Quite marked differences between Cambridge City and South Cambs,
aiui.

Rather less than you might think.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:05:11 +0100 someone who may be "Basil Jet"
wrote this:-

Middlesex exists, it just isn't recognised by the national government.

There is still a cricket club with that name, a university and the
post office know where it is.




--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

On 18 July, 18:55, David Hansen
wrote:
On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:05:11 +0100 someone who may be "Basil Jet"
wrote this:-

Middlesex exists, it just isn't recognised by the national government.

There is still a cricket club with that name, a university and the
post office know where it is.

This where someone usually pops up saying that the current boundaries
are just "administrative boundaries", implying that past
administrative boundaries somehow delimit real places in a different
way.

They are all administrative boundaries. I tend to think that current
boundaries and authorities are the only ones worth worrying about,
because they are current.

John B wrote:
On Jul 18, 3:05 pm, "Basil Jet"
wrote:
John B wrote:

(for m.t.u-t'ers, Middlesex hasn't existed for 44 years)
Middlesex exists, it just isn't recognised by the national government.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...7,-0.148702&sp...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...5,-0.138509&sp...

I understand that these signs were put up by Enfield Council less than 15
years ago. I'm not aware of any others.

Seems unlikely: councils aren't normally allowed to put up signs
conveying false information.

Lots of places have signs but no distinct government. I think I've seen
"England" on signs, and even "London" is rather complex concept to pin
down as a specific "thing".

The late and unlamented Humbers*de put up signs saying "England's newest
county", but presumably the unloved concept was no different in age to
Avon etc.

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

In message , at 12:46:04
on Sat, 18 Jul 2009, remarked:
There is a huge variation around the country in the local authorities'
requirements for minicabs.

Quite marked differences between Cambridge City and South Cambs,
aiui.

Rather less than you might think.

I'm going by what people say in cam.transport. Perhaps you think they
are exaggerating?
--
Roland Perry

On Jul 18, 8:55*am, John B wrote:

On Jul 17, 8:52*pm, Bruce wrote:

There is a huge variation around the country in the local authorities'
requirements for minicabs. *I have a friend who use to run a minicab
business in Aylesbury, but now runs a similar business in Middlesex.

Time traveller, is he?

(for m.t.u-t'ers, Middlesex hasn't existed for 44 years)

Do you have *any* idea about the can of worms that you seem intent on
opening?! (I half suspect you do, actually...)

On Jul 18, 5:47*pm, John B wrote:

On Jul 18, 3:05*pm, "Basil Jet"
wrote:

John B wrote:

(for m.t.u-t'ers, Middlesex hasn't existed for 44 years)

Middlesex exists, it just isn't recognised by the national government.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...7,-0.148702&sp...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...5,-0.138509&sp...

I understand that these signs were put up by Enfield Council less than 15
years ago. I'm not aware of any others.

Seems unlikely: councils aren't normally allowed to put up signs
conveying false information.

I've been up close and personal with one such sign - I honestly don't
know the veracity of that story (which I've heard before, but perhaps
it was here!), but the signs themselves certainly seem in pretty good
nick if they really are *that* old. I took photos too, however I've no
idea where they are but I'll try and find them.

(I actually had various thoughts about them being maintained
particularly well by the Borough roads people, and one though that's
just come to me is that perhaps they replaced old signs like for like
with other old but unused ones inherited from the stores of Middlesex
CC.)


I imagine there are still signs in parts of Slovenia suggesting that
it's in Yugoslavia; I'm equally sure that these don't mean Yugoslavia
exists.

To an extent, Middlesex exists as a place in the sense that people
think it exists - in that sense it's much like any other place name.
There's all those many things named after Middlesex of course -
there's Middlesex County Cricket Club for example, and there's also
North Middlesex and West Middlesex hospitals (and there was (Central)
Middlesex Hospital, now merged with UCH). Middlesex also continued to
exist as a postal county up until the Royal Mail abandoned the notion
of postal counties, so properly addressed letters included Middlesex
on the last line (this issue is somewhat complicated as a good chunk
of metropolitan Middlesex was already in the London postal district).