"There's nothing there that I want": Their hearts are Mancunian, but they are run by Rochdale... Inside Middleton's divide

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

It's officially part of Rochdale but most of those who live there identify as proud Mancunians. Middleton has been part of the wider Rochdale borough since the local government shake up of 1974.

Residents pay their council tax to Rochdale council but live in homes with Manchester post codes and telephone numbers. The town is equidistant between Rochdale town centre and central Manchester and is actually closer to Oldham.

Yet ultimately it is those at Rochdale Town Hall who decide Middleton's fate. READ MORE: Marcus Rashford launches new initiative to help kids with money However, many of those who live here work in the city or have made the move north along the A664.

Mary Gamlin was born in Manchester but has lived in Middleton since she was a child. She has always seen herself as a Manc. "I don't spend much time in Rochdale," the 70-year-old said. "There's nothing there that I want. "We pay our rates to Rochdale but they seem to have more things than we do.