ABC’s main point is that it would be better for both local government and the historic counties if the word ‘county’ ceased to be used as a term within local government and if local authorities stopped aping historic county names. Local authority areas could be called ‘council areas’. We could then drop the adjective ‘historic’ and just refer to the counties again.
The pretence by some local authorities that they are ‘counties’ is a major obstacle to a better public understand and appreciation of the historic counties. A tiresome example of this county fakery is that practiced by Bridgend Council which inexplicable refers to its area as “Bridgend County”.
For heaven’s sake, “Bridgend County”!!! This is from a tourism publication one can pick up for free in Tesco’s. It’s a lovely part of the country and well worth visiting, but Bridgend is not a county.
We feel sure that Bridgend Council could promote tourism to the many attractions of its area without the absurd pretence that this council area is literally a county. Rather, it should use its place within Glamorgan as part of its approach to promoting tourism.
By way of contrast, cottages.com at least gets the counties of South Wales correct – though its treatment of the rest of Wales is rather more confused.
One thought on ““Bridgend County”? Surely you’re joking?”
Once again the YPF is fully supportive of your statement advocating the restoration of County integrity – The main point is that it would be better for both local government and the historic counties if the word ‘county’ ceased to be used as a term within local government and if local authorities stopped aping historic county names. We could then drop the adjective ‘historic’ and just refer to the counties again.