It's officially part of Rochdale but most of those who live there identify as proud Mancunians.
Middleton has been part of the wider Rochdale borough since the local government shake up of 1974. Residents pay their council tax to Rochdale council but live in homes with Manchester post codes and telephone numbers.
The town is equidistant between Rochdale town centre and central Manchester and is actually closer to Oldham. Yet ultimately it is those at Rochdale Town Hall who decide Middleton's fate.