Eh?!
If there wasn’t already enough confusion about our regional identity, I fear there’s more on the way.
“But, but, but...you can’t just change your address,” I’ve been spluttering to bored-looking colleagues.
“There must be some kind of official man somewhere who decides where you can say you live and where you can’t? Surely!”.
The source of my perplexity comes from Redcar and Cleveland Council’s decision to include ‘Yorkshire Coast’ on some signs and on their official correspondence.
This comes after the majority of Yarm residents said that they’d too quite like to be a part of Yorkshire - even holding a referendum on the issue.
Nunthorpe and Thornaby residents quite fancied doing the same.
Then there are the other factors to add into the confusing regional identity pot.
I have distant memories of including Cleveland on my address, my mother-in-law still does.
Around the mid-90s that kind of became defunct.
And then there was/is the Tees Valley. A buzzword for a bit, less so now.
It’s all just so confusing.
But this is how I see it.
I’m a Middlesbrough girl - and a Teessider.
The Yorkshire thing?
Well, all that was before my time.
I know that we’re in the some kind of ‘ceremonial’ boundary within the county of North Yorkshire. But that holds little weight in my mind.
I don’t actually know how or why we were unceremoniously kicked out/politely asked to leave Yorkshire.
And I don’t know if Teesside was imposed on us or adopted.
But I do think it’s a name we’ve done proud.
I see little point in going down on bended knee, wanting back ‘in’. Or trying to shoehorn ourselves there.
It’s too late.
Even if Yorkshire is part of our heritage we’ve moved on I reckon and as long as I live in Middlesbrough, Teesside is where I will hang my hat.
:: Do you agree? Let us know. Email mieka.smiles@trinitymirror.com
No comments:
Post a Comment