General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

If a person doesn't know anything, it's only because they've never been told. So, here goes ....

A 'county' is an administrative area. Nothing more, nothing less.
Lancashire, as was or as is now, is nothing more than an administrative area. In 1972, the government's administration was separated into even smaller areas and Wigan ended up as a town in one of ten boroughs forming Greater Manchester.
Wigan has nothing to do with Lancashire nowadays, other than the claim to have been historically linked.
As it is, Wigan was only 'fully' part of Lancashire for about 65 years.

The Royal Mail is a mail and parcel delivery service.
It just so happens that the WN postcode area is within their Lancashire distribution area and that puts part of St.Helens in Lancashire as well, but it's not, it's in Merseyside.

Indeed, and as I have said a number of times, the governing body (in the form of local government) and the name of the area you live in are totally different concepts.
Wigan is a town.
Wigan Council is a government body which doesn't only administer over Wigan.
The area which they do administer over is known as a 'metropolitan borough'.
That metropolitan borough is part of a 'metropolitan county'.
And that metropolitan county is known as 'Greater Manchester'!

But, Wigan is still Wigan regardless.


In fact .... you can't have the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan without it being part of Greater Manchester.
So, if you live in another part of the metropolitan borough of Wigan, other than Wigan itself, and you claim to be a Wiganer on the strength of living under Wigan Council, then I'm afraid it's hypocritical to also claim you live in Lancashire.

Absolutely anything you wish can be used as a geographical entity. ie: The Diocese of Liverpool, of which Wigan is very much a part!