THE most surprising thing about Redcar's decision to reclaim its Yorkshire identity is that it took so long. The second most surprising thing is that the decision wasn't unanimous but carried by the not quite overwhelming vote of 36 to 23.

Everywhere belongs somewhere and, following the unlamented demise of Cleveland County in 1996, if Redcar and its hinterland, now forming the borough of Redcar and Cleveland, didn't belong to Yorkshire where did it belong to?

Oh yes, Teesside, of course. But Teesside isn't a county, adminstrative or otherwise. Nor is the upstart Tees Valley, to which the Redcar and Cleveland council has also hitched its wagon.

Tees Valley is a fundamental error. Not only does it create confusion with Teesdale but it is unlikely ever to become known beyond about Thirsk and Gosforth.

Certainly it has a mountain to climb to catch up not only with "Teesside" but, much further ahead still, "Durham" and "Yorkshire". These are names and concepts known and respected around the world.

In view of Cleveland county's short life of just 22 years, the identity crisis provoked by its passing is proving extraordinarily difficult to sort out. And yet why?

In choosing to link with Yorkshire for "cultural, ceremonial and sporting purposes'', while fully recognising the district's economic ties to the North-East, Redcar and Cleveland council has just about got it right. But even what the council hopes will play an increasing role in its economy - tourism - is tied to Yorkshire rather than Northumbria, whose attractions are too far away. To use a phrase the council will recognise, it now needs to be proactive in asserting its re-discovered Yorkshire identity.

I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Whitby had been swallowed by Cleveland, whose clutches it escaped only by the most determined campaigning, culminating with fishwives barnstorming Downing Street.

Meanwhile, what of Teesside's big one - Middlesbrough? It once hosted the Yorkshire Show. Its annual Yorkshire CCC fixture regularly drew the biggest crowds except for Scarborough. Now seemingly indifferent to Yorkshire, it formerly had no problem being a county borough within the North Riding, which was both an adminstrative and historic county.

Today, its proudest connection is with Capt Cook, voted Yorkshire's figure of the Millennium. If Cook is a Yorkshireman and his birthplace is in Middlesbrough, where does that put the town?

Administratively, Middlesbrough stands in relation to Yorkshire exactly as York does. Although they have nothing in common and belong to different regions, the same goes for hundreds of other places in Yorkshire. What's Halifax got in common with Hawes?

The word Yorkshire that's what. More than just heritage it can help butter bread. Certainly it will do more buttering than Tees Valley. And the same is true of County Durham, especially now it is putting its pit image behind it. Stockton and Hartlepool should go for it - and Darlington end its foolish dalliance with Tees Valley.

The historic counties are gold.