Home Counties
The phrase Home Counties is a semi-archaic name for the English counties bordering London. These were originally Kent, Surrey, Middlesex and Essex. However, although Middlesex still exists as a postal address, most of the county itself has long since been absorbed into Greater London (though parts of what was Middlesex are now in Surrey), along with parts of the other counties. The list of counties bordering Greater London also includes Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. However, the phrase "Home Counties" is not usually applied with geographical precision, but simply refers to the south-east of England.In economic terms much of the region can nowadays be considered a very large suburb of London itself, sometimes called "London and the South-East".
In writing, it might be wise to avoid using the term, because some people whose home is not in the area find it a sign of London bias.
