At last some good news!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Croydon would have been considered to be in Surrey when I was a child, not London. Looking at the map, I would have assumed Salford to be a part of Manchester in the same way. I suppose it all must come down to a matter of identity, in the end.

Salford has always been a separate town/city, though it was part of Greater Manchester from 1974 until its abolition in 1988. Salford, like London, has an elected mayor.

[jean]

...it was part of Greater Manchester from 1974 until its abolition in 1988. Salford, like London, has an elected mayor.

And Devo Manc will see it as part of Greater Manchester again - with a Metro Mayor lording it over the lot.

Strangely, the authorities that will go to form this Northern Powerhouse (bribed by the Govt.) seem less reluctant than the local authorities around Liverpool, who are being offered similar lures.

[MrGongGong]

. Salford, like London, has an elected mayor.

As well as a poet laureate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euD0o0x-jAo

[vinteuil]

And Devo Manc will see it as part of Greater Manchester again - with a Metro Mayor lording it over the lot.
.

... ah, whatever happened to Middlesex?

http://diamondgeezer.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/up-edgware-road-iii.html

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... ah, whatever happened to Middlesex?

County town - Brentford. Middlesex exists so Lords can have a county cricket club.

[vinteuil]

County town - Brentford. .

... wiki doesn't share your certainty -

"Middlesex arguably never, and certainly not since 1789, had a single, established county town. London could be regarded as its county town for most purposes and provided different locations for the various, mostly judicial, county purposes. The County Assizes for Middlesex were held at the Old Bailey in the City of London. Until 1889, the High Sheriff of Middlesex was chosen by the City of London Corporation. The sessions house for the Middlesex Quarter Sessions was at Clerkenwell Green from the early 18th century. The quarter sessions at the former Middlesex Sessions House performed most of the limited administration on a county level until the creation of the Middlesex County Council in 1889. New Brentford was first promulgated as the county town in 1789, on the basis that it was where elections of Knights of the Shire (or Members of Parliament) were held from 1701. Thus a traveller's and historian's London regional summary of 1795 states that (New) Brentford was "considered as the county-town; but there is no town-hall or other public building". Middlesex County Council took over at the Guildhall in Westminster, which became the Middlesex Guildhall. In the same year, this location was placed into the new County of London, and was thus outside the council's area of jurisdiction."

[bluestateprommer]

Yanking the off-topic thread on to another road altogether:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2015/bbc-so-chief-conductor

"The BBC Symphony Orchestra is delighted to announce that Sakari Oramo will extend his contract as Chief Conductor for another four years, building on their acclaimed partnership through to 2020."

This seems to qualify as good news, doesn't it?