I ask because Radio Two [redacted adjective] idiot Sarah Kennedy referred to it as such this morning. We have a cathedral, albeit a small one, but as far as I know it’s never been awarded “city status” (despite a campaign during the turn of the millennium). So what’s the criteria for being a “city”? Is a cathedral enough, or is there more?

I think that, although their have been rumours floating about for years, unless you have proof about the person mentioned, I would be very careful as that could be construed as slander. Or is it libel?

My home town, Guildford, has been trying for city status for years.

It has a cathedral, a university, a large hospital, hosts the county show and is the county town of Surrey.

It's still just a town, though. Rochester, however, is a city while barely being larger than a small village.

To answer your question, though, here's the wikicliki.

Critieria for city is thus:

If the Queen says it's a city then it's a city. Everyone else need not apply.

I have removed the offending word then.

Not any more, apparently:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_statu ... _Rochester

Chelmsford was considering two routes at the time of the millennium - either it was going to become a business centre - which would have meant the building of a lot of office blocks and towers, or it would become a market town. I think it’s chosen the market town option, which I think is actually better as it won’t end up like Basildon.

This is true, although apparently the authorities have written to Her Maj to see if it can be rectified. Locally, most people still refer to it as a city, and the tourist people market it has a city.

And very nice it is too, and it's where I spend weekends when I'm here.

Really? I know it's effectively a foreign country to me since I've not lived there for over 20 years, but even when I did live there I thought the place sucked.

The one-way system is a work of art, as is the Friary Centre. Last time I tried to walk up the cobbled High Street, it was full of jewellers and shoe shops.

It doesn't pay to go back to places you knew in your youth, I find.

Chelmsford is the county town of Essex

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelmsford

Question solved

Reminds me of Milton Keynes.

The number of times I hear people calling it a "city" when it is not is quite annoying - delusions of grandeur and all that.

I believe the correct adjective for MK is "Roundabouttown"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Key ... ew_City.22

It's understandable when the early references to the new town included notions of updating the "garden city" ideal. I have friends who live in Stony Stratford, and they often referred to "going to the city centre" if they were headed to the huge shopping centre.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Key ... _forest.22

The way I look at it is this:

Having a Cathedral effectively makes a place eligible to apply for city status - it is then up to the powers that be (as already mentioned, HM) to decide.

That's why I hate it when people call Brighton a city. It's not. Its just a large town which happens to have merged with Hove to form a rather lacklustre urbanised seaside resort (which some Londoners still seem to think is posh )

We're talking relative here. And relative to Farnborough. There's things other than concrete there, for starters, although I still head back to Bath most weekends.