Centre Of Britain Moves: Locals In Midway Wheel-y Don’t Care!

Controversial news regarding the great north/south divide… Midway has been replaced as the ‘population centre of Britain’ by Snarestone in Leicestershire.

The debate about the centre of England, or indeed Great Britain has often seen many places lay claim to this title.

Meriden, Coton-in-the-Elms, Haltwhistle, Dunsop Bridge, Morton (Derbyshire) and Lindley Hall Farm have all had varying degrees of study to back up their claim.

Ordnance survey provide the map versions whilst Liverpool University have been studding population changes since 1971-2011 and this will come as no shock to anyone to find that “the population of the country has shifted to the south-east,” said Chris Lloyd from Liverpool University.

https://www.family-tree.co.uk/how-to-guides/useful-genealogy-websites/new-popchange-resource-analyses-changing-population-data

Without going down a political route it is clear to see which regions have had investment and which ones haven’t over the past 46 years so Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham and Liverpool have experienced large population decreases whereas Westminster and Earls Court have experienced the highest increase…

Anyway, all of this means that Midway, a village in Swadlincote, has lost its opportunity to be mentioned in despatches, briefly, on national television, whenever there is a slow news day (everyday on this blog!).

However, on entering 111 –  The Wheel Inn DE11 0DH I have to say the locals didn’t seem to fussed by this news.

I’ve slowed down a bit on the blog recently with work commitments and ‘snow days’ with the kids but it was good to see this place giving off a good ‘local’ vibe at around 6pm on a Tuesday.

Apparently it has had a fire recently which has put paid to food until the refurb is complete but the place had a crackling atmosphere with plenty of ‘ay-up’s and laughter all round with around 20+ people in here and more arriving.

Bear in mind it was sub-zero temperatures outside this was no mean feat and there was a good age range and spread of workers and couples enjoying the atmosphere.

In fact, a bloke who appeared to be welded to the bar even managed to start moving his leg rigorously when ‘Ride On Time’ appeared as the background music upped its tempo!

Black Box obviously gets them rocking in this part of Derbyshire and the beer on offer was decent too as I had a very good pint of 6X (Wadsworth) for £3.30 whilst taking in the ambience.

Live music and a forthcoming quiz along with a darts board, newspapers to read (Daily Mail and Burton Mail) and a boozer that appears to care is obviously surviving with plenty of chimney pots in Midway to support it, they have the recipe right.

(picture from their FB page)

It doesn’t open till 4pm in the week but that is obviously what the local market want and clearly their shift away from potential national fame hasn’t upset the locals too much!

It does make you wonder where the ‘population centre of Britain’ will be in 40 years’ time if we keep on ploughing all the money darn sarf….