Counties of England
The term Counties of England can refer to several different sets, but the main distinction is between the administrative and historic.The Administrative counties of England (called 'administrative counties' by advocates of historic counties, and 'counties' by others). These are the legal entities used for administration. In the last two centuries, they have been reformed three times - in 1880s, in the 1970s, and in the 1990s, to create the London County Council, the metropolitan counties and the unitary authorities.
The Traditional counties of England (called 'counties' or 'historic counties' by advocates of historic counties, and 'traditional counties' by others). These are the same as the administrative counties at some point between 1133 (when Carlisle was transferred from County Durham, which the advocates of historic counties accept), and 1373 (when Bristol was made an independent county, which they do not accept). The advocates claim they are real existing entities not changed by successive local government reforms, although they do accept certain minor border changes, notably the reversion of exclaves to their host territory. They claim that not only is it right and proper to speak of Westminster as being in Middlesex, that it is wrong to speak of it as being formerly part of it, or even sometimes that it is wrong to call it part of Westminster, Greater London.
People who aren't advocates of traditional counties are largely bemused by what they see as a bizarre fixation.
