Lying south of sweet Northumber,
 Lands of Westmor, Rut and Cumber,
 Nottingham for forest walks,
 Durham, Derby, Lancs and Yorks,
 Leicester, Warwick, Wilts ahead,
 Fords of Here, Staff and Bed,
 Shires of Lincoln, Shrop and Ches,
 Sexes - Middle, Sus and Es!
 Worcester, Gloucester, down the Severn
 South to Somerset and Devon,
 On to Dorset, Kent and Surrey
 Passing London in a hurry.
 Berkshire Thames where Oxford punts,
 Herts or Bucks for Cambridge Hunts,
 Hants and Northants, Norfolk, Suff,
 Cornwall, Monmouth - that's enough.

You asked for it! [Indeed - see Poem #1358 - and I’m glad I did! - martin]

Here are the old counties of England as a mnemonic by someone called Donald Monat, who, I think, won a competition with it in the magazine, the New Statesman.

Notes: Rutland has now gone as has Huntingdonshire. Americans will need to be reminded that Warwickshire is Worrick not war-wick and that Leicestershire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire are lester, wuster and gloster respectively. Derbyshire is darby and Hertfordshire is hartford. [And Here in line 6 has two syllables, as in ‘Hereford’ - martin]

Best wishes,

— Mike Lynd