In July 2015, “The Irish Examiner” newspaper published an article ridiculing British county flags. http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/real-life/is-your-county- flag-one-of-the-20-most-bonkers-in-the-uk-341227.html (The full text is repeated below). Presumably this was intended to be satirical but it seemed to glory in ignorance and served only to misinform. We can take a joke but it had worn a little thin by the 5th paragraph. Since the journal offered no evident means of reply on any public forum, a response follows here. So what was the point of this article? Limp satire? Gratuitous criticism? Why exactly are our county flags “bonkers”? Are you just unfamiliar with the provenance of the designs? What is that you object to, the fact that our flags exhibit more creativity than a few coloured stripes? You also imply that novelty is worthy of disdain; “cobbled together in the last ten years”. Perhaps rather than “cobbled together” our flags have been carefully crafted after extensive research, which you admit that you did not do before cobbling together your article; “Nope, we don’t know why there are scallops and waves on their flag either.”... maybe you could have found out, https://britishcountyflags.wordpress.com/…/bedfordshire-fl…/ ? Or are you just opposed to the idea of county flags in general? If so why? Numerous countries on Earth include flags at various levels of territorial division; every Swiss Canton and each commune or district within bears its own flag; a similar condition applies in the Netherlands, Ecuador, Papua New Guinea, the Czech Republic. Why should our counties not also mark themselves out with distinctive flags? West Riding’s flag features a “Rose-en-Soleil” device, combining a sun and a rose. First used by Richard II this emblem of 600 years standing appeared on the arms of the former West Riding Council; its inclusion on the local flag was an obvious continuation of an established local tradition. Most people feel it is an eye-catching and impressive design that stands out. The sun and rose emblem is both distinct and locally meaningful – consult any guide to flag design e.g. http://www.flaginstitute.org/…/Flag_Design_Commission_Repor…
Transcript
In July 2015, “The Irish Examiner” newspaper published an article
Presumably this was intended to be satirical but it seemed to glory in ignorance and served only to misinform. We can take a joke but it had worn a little thin by the 5th paragraph. Since the journal offered no evident means of reply on any public forum, a response follows here.
So what was the point of this article? Limp satire? Gratuitous criticism? Why exactly are our county flags “bonkers”? Are you just unfamiliar with the provenance of the designs? What is that you object to, the fact that our flags exhibit more creativity than a few coloured stripes? You also imply that novelty is worthy of disdain; “cobbled together in the last ten years”. Perhaps rather than “cobbled together” our flags have been carefully crafted after extensive research, which you admit that you did not do before cobbling together your article; “Nope, we don’t know why there are scallops and waves on their flag either.”... maybe you could have found out, https://britishcountyflags.wordpress.com/…/bedfordshire-fl…/ ?
Or are you just opposed to the idea of county flags in general? If so why? Numerous countries on Earth include flags at various levels of territorial division; every Swiss Canton and each commune or district within bears its own flag; a similar condition applies in the Netherlands, Ecuador, Papua New Guinea, the Czech Republic. Why should our counties not also mark themselves out with distinctive flags?
West Riding’s flag features a “Rose-en-Soleil” device, combining a sun and a rose. First used by Richard II this emblem of 600 years standing appeared on the arms of the former West Riding Council; its inclusion on the local flag was an obvious continuation of an established local tradition. Most people feel it is an eye-catching and impressive design that stands out. The sun and rose emblem is both distinct and locally meaningful – consult any guide to flag design e.g. http://www.flaginstitute.org/…/Flag_Design_Commission_Repor…
or https://portlandflag.files.wordpress.com/…/2013_gfbf_final_… and you’ll find that distinctiveness is a desirable trait in a flag.
Road markings and turbo ramps in kart-racing videogames are twentieth century creations, THEY resemble the arms of Iestyn Ap Gwrgant created in the middle ages, some seven hundred years ago. You may be more familiar with the former items that you mention but that is not a reason, not to utilise this ancient local design as the Glamorgan flag. It has appeared on the arms of many local councils and sporting bodies, including the arms of the capital city, where the Welsh dragon proudly wields the Iestyn banner. Rather than being “bizarre” this flag is imbued with ancient local heritage and is entirely apt.
The ermine bend on Norfolk’s flag reflects the association of its first earl with Brittany, this Celtic land today still proudly bears an ermine pattern on its national flag. Perhaps you have also notified the people there of your dislike for their ancient tradition?
Westmorland has never ceased to be a county, what makes you think it has? There is no Westmorland County Council but the county existed for about 700 years without a local council and continues to exist today. Our counties are not defined by local administrations, a point asserted in 1974 by a government official “The new county boundaries are administrative areas, and will not alter the traditional boundaries of counties, nor is it intended that the loyalties of people living in them will change despite the different names adopted by the new administrative counties.” See the foot of the page here https://britishcountyflags.wordpress.com/ for further confirmations of this fact. You may also like to see http://www.quadhurst.co.uk/aboutthiscountiesmap.html to get better acquainted with the facts. Oh and by the way the “apparent reason” why there is a stylised apple tree on the county flag is that it represents the county town of Appleby – it’s all here https://britishcountyflags.wordpress.com/…/westmorland-flag/
In his 17th century poem on the Battle of Agincourt, Michael Drayton relates that the men of Merioneth bore a banner with “three goats dancing ‘gainst a rising sun”. This six hundred year old theme was used in the seal and subsequent arms, used by the local council in Merioneth and with this centuries long association, naturally features again as the county flag. Do you really find the flag unattractive? Most people think
it’s beautiful. It is also locally relevant and utterly distinct. What is bonkers about that?
Worcestershire has a proud fruit producing heritage, long symbolised on various local arms and now its flag. Why not? Should the county not be proud of its distinctive black pear variety? Do you find pears inherently humorous? What could possibly be more appropriate?
Considering the precepts of good flag design outlined in the above guides what would you have recommended instead? Take a look at the state flags in the USA by comparison and you’ll find that most of them are dire – utterly indistinguishable and generally comprised of tiny complex seals on bed sheets. Few are memorable and most will not stir the soul. Our flags generally comply with the recommendations – they are bright, cheerful, thoughtful. You may find them bizarre, we fly them with pride.
