'I'm from Lancashire; Southport has always been Lancashire and always will be'
County councils date back to 1889 but in 1974 the passage of the Local Government Act led to the creation of Cumbria and the greatest administrative upheaval in modern history.
The reasoning behind the move was to create smaller councils which would be more efficient - somewhat ironic now given the plans afoot to merge several councils across Lancashire.many who lived there continued to - and still do - class themselves as proud Lancastrians and fiercely maintain that they live in Lancashire. Southport, once part of West Lancashire, was transferred into the newly created county of Merseyside, becoming part of the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, but locals still feel aggrieved 52 years later.
"I'm from Lancashire and I live in Lancashire," says Webby as he sips a pint of Guinness outside Southport's Wetherspoons. "All the money now goes to Bootle. I was born in Southport and I'm a Lancastrian.
" As with towns such as Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, which retains its LA postcode that evidences its links to Lancashire, Southport has kept itsHigh profile groups like The Friends of Real Lancashire continue to urge people to always refer to the geographical county in which you live, not the administrative county". The group, which counts several MPs among its patrons including Chorley's Sir Lindsay Hoyle, campaigns for the restoration of the historical counties and states on its website: "The counties of this country are an integral part of our history and culture and it is essential that their true identity is preserved.
"Until 1974 the identities of most of the ancient and geographical counties of the United Kingdom had remained essentially unaltered for over a thousand years. "Very little needs to be done to undo the damage to this county identity that has occurred since 1974, but unless steps are taken now, we run the risk of losing this very important part of our heritage. " Although Mary has lived in Southport for more than 50 years she wasn't born here.
Her mother was though.
"She hated it ," Mary says. "She knew it as Lancashire and always will be. "
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