Herts or Middlesex??

In order to qualify to run in County Championships or represent a county you must either have been born in that county, or have lived in it for the past six months.

This means in effect you could qualify for two different counties - however the rule is that you cannot compete in one county's championships or represent that county within nine months of doing so for another county (my thanks to Chris Stott for his advice).

(In the Herts Senior 10K Road Championships, which were incorporated in the Standalone, it was sufficient for a club to be registered with Herts - thus possibly allowing club members who would not otherwise qualify, to take part in the team event, but not as individuals?)

The question arises - where does Middlesex end and Hertfordshire begin? Middlesex County Council ceased to exist as an administrative authority in 1965, and parts of the old Hertfordshire became part of Greater London - including Barnet and East Barnet.

 I attach a map of Middlesex from 1961 before it was abolished as an administrative authority. You will note that Enfield, and even Potters Bar, were part of Middlesex, with the long tongue of Herts going down into Middlesex being made up primarily of Barnet, East Barnet, and Totteridge.

Middlesex AA represents the historic county of Middlesex. As such it includes the old Urban District Councils of Finchley, Hendon, Friern Barnet, Southgate and Enfield, amongst others. (We can accept that today Potters Bar is in Hertfordshire, having been transferred in 1965).

The boundary between Hendon and Totteridge, and therefore the border between Middlesex and Herts, is marked by the Folly Brook in the south, and Dollis Brook. Therefore anyone living in Woodside Park south of the Folly Brook (i.e. Chanctonbury Way) and east of the Dollis Brook is in Middlesex.

Finchley and Friern Barnet UDC's extended all the way up to Northumberland Road in the north (those of you in that area will be familiar with the road called County Gate just off the High Road - a bit of a clue!). Therefore anyone in Finchley, North Finchley, and even Whetstone east of the Dollis Brook right up to Northumberland Road, is living in Middlesex.

And those of you living in Hadley Wood and Cockfosters, who pay your council tax to Enfield rather than to Barnet, are also in Middlesex.

So...... the Middlesex County Cross Country Championships take place at Wormwood Scrubs on Saturday 7 January 2012, and the Middlesex Vets XC Championships are on Saturday 4 February in Ruislip.

I will be sending out further details in due course for all those who qualify through birth or residency.

John Clarke
 
All 3 maps mentioned have been copied below.