Clary wrote:No, west and east are not so distinguised. But we have a good big division of north and south (a novel by Mrs Gaskell called 'North and South' even)- no actual line - for Londoners it's said to be anywhere north of Watford (i e 15 miles away) but I guess it's really north of Birmingham. It's still thought that the north is more industrial, poorer - but like all generalisations, only marginally true.
Distinguishing feature really is the flat A in the north, in words like bath, can't, etc. Northist remarks prevail in the south - can't say whether the reverse is true, being an unrepentant southerner!
North of Birmingham is north???? now there speaks a southerner! Derbyshire northwards is north. Birmingham/Leicester/Nottingham are still Midlands - we ain't north!
Also there is a strong West Country difference - the softer burr in the accent and a difference somehow in attititude. Somerset downwards isn't the south but the west surely?
Oh yes, southerner remarks prevail in the Midlands, the north and Scotland! (I've lived in most at various times) Where I lived in the far north of Scotland, southerners included the lowland Scots - a different species from the Highland Scots
... they are probably just trying to remember which of the fourteen they use, they should use.