I have always understood a local flight to be one where you return to the airfield of departure without landing away (rather like that chappy in the virgin global thingy
)
A cross country is where you land away as in the PPL QXC
Therefore as most of my flying is a wonder around the area for a couple of hours it is not classed as cross country.
As I said before we all have different reasons to fly and different limiting factors. I am suprised that others find it pertinent to comment on the type of flying I am able/comfortable to do.