In weather terms , the North does begin at the M4 because north of that is where it snows - see earlier posts in this moaning thread.
Or, to quote an infamous BR poster of the 1950s, "Excursions to Scotland and other towns in the North of England"
And in any case, any true Kentish Man (or Man of Kent) knows that the North begins at Watford, and Manchester is a town on the Scottish border. This perception may have arisen because before and often after the building of the M25 it took a good two hours to clear the north of London, and when you left there the roads were a lot more open.
PS - only joking - and if it makes you feel any better, the name 'Kent' comes from the tribe of the Cantware, which translates as 'dwellers on the edge'
Originally Posted by: DEW