Was is the difference betwen the Wirral and Merseyside?

Question

I am sorting masses of address information out and would like to know the differnce between the Wirral and Merseyside?
Some address in the same street have the Wirral and some have Merseyside and they are next to each other!
Which is correct?

Answer 1

Wirral (and it's Wirral, not The Wirral) is one of the boroughs that makes up the district known as Merseyside, although this isn't actually an official area.
Historically it was part of Cheshire, but was later part of the area known as Greater Merseyside when the metropolitan councils were born.
What you are likely to find is that west Wirral is quite posh (it has Heswall, Hoylake and West Kirby, and many residents are likely to use "Wirral, Cheshire" as their address, or probably more likely, just "Wirral". (They loved it when they Wirral sorting office got moved from Liverpool to Chester a few years back and they got to switch from "L" to "CH" post-codes - actually, I didn't mind too - my insurance quotes suddenly came down too!)
East Wirral has areas that are far from posh - not a name I'd use for parts of Birkenhead, Tranmere, Rock Ferry, New Ferry, Seacombe etc. They are more likely to identify with Merseyside than Cheshire. But, even there you'll find a mix of strong-minded Wirralians who just use "Wirral" in their address, but others use "Wirral, Merseyside", and some may use "Birkenhead, Merseyside" - tells you about their attachement to Merseyside really.
I suppose its a bit like some Mancunians who continue to use the address "Manchester, Lancashire" for historical reasons.
Strictly speaking Wirralians should use neither "Cheshire" nor "Merseyside" as they are not part of Cheshire and the area Merseyside does not really officially exist. They should just use, for example, "Birkenhead, Wirral".

Answer 2

The Wirral is like a suburb of Merseyside. A bit posher, and geographically the bit thats south of the river. Technically it is in Merseyside, but not in Liverpool.
People from the Wirral are called 'woolybacks', those from liverpool 'scousers'

Address wise it shouldn't matter as long it has the correct postcode.

Answer 3

Merseyside can refer to both sides of the Mersey. The wirral is the part south of the river.

Answer 4

Wirral is a suberb of merseside, or some say wirral, if they think they are better, just being a snob really, and think it sounds better, there is no difference really, its in the same are, but its just a part of it. They all live in Merseyside

Answer 5

The Wirral is loads posher. I met a guy from the Wirral a couple of years ago and when I heard he was from there I was quite keen to hear a lovely scouse accent (I have a strange weakness for them), but he sounds like a public schoolboy - he is the epitomy of what American films seem to think is the standard accent here - all what-ho and I say chaps let's have Pimms on the lawn.

Answer 6

I am reaching my 70th birthday, born in Birkenhead, Cheshire but now live in Irby, the name Wirral has been in existence since around 940 AD and is the name of the entire peninsula which stretches to the city boundary of Chester. Never have used the 1974 political name of Merseyside because it only represents one side of the peninsula with the River Dee dividing us from North Wales. The only connections we have with Liverpool is the Ferry (from 1330 until mid 1500 s run by the monks of Birkenhead Priory by Royal Charter, Liverpool share the rights), there are two road tunnels under the river and an electric railway under the river. I always carry a small map with me showing the Wirral Peninsula and Liverpool/Chester in their locations. Never but never would I describe myself as being anywhere but from Wirral