SIR: The North West describes the combination of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. Perhaps a name like Brigantia would be better.

The Brigantes were a group of Celtic Tribes occupying Northern England when the Romans arrived. After the departure of the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons invaded they pushed the Brigantes into Cheshire and Lancashire. The Friesians who came with the Angles, Saxons and Jutes did reach Chester but were absorbed by the Brigantes, who had previously accepted the 5,500 Sarmatian cavalry from Hungary who were great inventors and 2,500 cavalry from Spain who were the originators of clog dancing, both being left behind by the Romans.

John Granger

Bannerdown Road, Bath

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.