Most people seem to have a very hazy idea of just how long the British Isles/United Kingdoms are. I dare say if you're from Shetland that the "far north west" is a different kettle of fish altogether.
If it's any consolation, my bit of France is part of Le Grand Ouest - the big west. Very vague and blessed with a wide variety of topography and climate.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Not if you take it to mean ‘as far as you can be in the northwest of the UK’ … then it doesn’t have to relate to a distance from any location … that’s how I take it.
Particularly when talking about ‘weather’ I visualise a map of the British Isles … top left is northwest and bottom right is southeast … Ullapool, Gairloch and Stornoway etc are about as ‘far northwest’ as you can be in the UK, whereas Dover, Deal and Ramsgate are about as far southeast as you can be and still be in the UK.
So, for me it’s more about the location of a place than the distance to get there … does that make sense … I know what I mean but I’m not sure that I’ve explained it very well. 🤔
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I've lived in Essex all my life. For the majority of that time Essex was in the South-East of England, now it's in the East of England... it must have happened one day whilst I was having a nap 😁
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
When 'they' say the 'north west' they often mean Manchester [ which always makes me laugh] so, to them, the far north west must mean Cumbria, because they're usually talking about England, not the UK. A lot of Scotland is either not populated, or is sparsely populated, because of the landscape. If weather sweeps in to the NW of Scotland, it affects more areas, but if affects fewer people, so 'far north west/east' covers it in terms of notifying the public of an impending problem etc. T'was always thus, in my lifetime anyway. They'll use counties when talking about many parts of England if they need to be specific, but they might say the south east or south west if it's a more general statement - and that's usually about the weather, although it can also mean other things. We don't have counties- we have regions, which also makes a difference. Many of those cover a huge area. As @Obelixx says - many of the London centric announcements, whether it's news, weather or anything else, have no idea of their geography when it comes to the UK though.
I'd agree they aren't meaning distances as such, but I'd say they mean far as in - it's a long way from 'us here in London'.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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If it's any consolation, my bit of France is part of Le Grand Ouest - the big west. Very vague and blessed with a wide variety of topography and climate.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
For the majority of that time Essex was in the South-East of England, now it's in the East of England... it must have happened one day whilst I was having a nap 😁
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
A lot of Scotland is either not populated, or is sparsely populated, because of the landscape. If weather sweeps in to the NW of Scotland, it affects more areas, but if affects fewer people, so 'far north west/east' covers it in terms of notifying the public of an impending problem etc. T'was always thus, in my lifetime anyway.
They'll use counties when talking about many parts of England if they need to be specific, but they might say the south east or south west if it's a more general statement - and that's usually about the weather, although it can also mean other things. We don't have counties- we have regions, which also makes a difference. Many of those cover a huge area. As @Obelixx says - many of the London centric announcements, whether it's news, weather or anything else, have no idea of their geography when it comes to the UK though.
I'd agree they aren't meaning distances as such, but I'd say they mean far as in - it's a long way from 'us here in London'.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.