FLAGS

In 1924 public buildings were restricted to flying national flags on eighteen days a year. In 2008 the government indicated that it was considering allowing national flags to be flown more frequently.

The Cross of St George

The Cross of St George is the national flag of England. It consists of a red cross upon a white background. Until the 1990s many supporters of the England national soccer team were under the misapprehension that the Union Flag was their national flag.

The Iranian Flag

The Iranian flag consists of three vertical bands of colour. These are green, white and red. There is an emblem within the white section. During the 2006 World Cup some London-resident Iranians displayed the flag publicly. However, the national team was eliminated from the competition. At that point, some of the flag owners switched their support to Italy. They exhibited this by the simple ruse of covering over their own flags emblem with pieces of white cloth.

The Red Ensign

The merchant navy flies the red ensign.

St Dunstan in Stepney is the parish church of the seven seas. It flies the red ensign.

Location: St Dunstan & All Saints Church, Stepney High Street, E1 0NR (red, orange)

Website: www.stdunstanstepney.com

The Red Flag

The song The Red Flag is associated with left-wing politics throughout much of the world. The tune is derived from the German-language carol O Tannenbaum. The Flag's lyrics were composed by Jim Connell, an Irish-born journalist who passed through an assortment nationalist and Socialist organisations.¹ During the London Dock Strike of 1889 he attended a lecture that was mounted by the Social Democratic Federation. Subsequently, he went to Charing Cross Railway Station in order to return to his home. The trigger that prompted him to write the lyrics was probably seeing the train guard's use of a red signal flag.

Location: Charing Cross Railway Station, Strand, WC2N 5HS (yellow, pink)

22a Stondon Park, Honor Park, SE23 1LA. Connell's home.

¹. Connell wanted the words to be sung to the tune of The White Cockade.

The Redundant Dragon

The Anglo-Saxons were given to fighting beneath a flag that portrayed a white dragon. Following the Battle of Hastings (1066) lions became the favoured symbol of the Norman sovereigns. (The Welsh appear to have started using a red dragon as their symbol only in the 12^thC.)

The Royal Standard

At a glance it is possible to see whether the sovereign is in residence at Buckingham Palace. If s/he is then the Royal Standard flag is flown above the building. If the monarch is away then the Union Flag is substituted for it.

The Royal Standard is the personal property of the sovereign. It may be flown only where the monarch is residing. ( The Royal Standard is a popular name for pubs - none of which are allowed to fly it.)

Souvenir Press

Souvenir Press was founded in 1951 by Ernest Hecht (1929-2018), whose family had been assimilated Moravian Jews. He had arrived in Britain as a nine-year-old by means of the Kindertransport. In 1966 he was due to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair. However, it clashed with an Arsenal game that he chose to see instead. He concluded that his absence from the fair had made no difference to his business and so never attended it again. A flag was flown from the fourth storey. He claimed that it was lowered to half-mast whenever one of books was remaindered or his beloved Arsenal lost; at one point he and Camden Council were reputed to be in dispute with one another over this matter.

Location: 43 Great Russell Street, WC1B 3PD (orange, purple)

The Union Flag

The Union Flag is the national flag of Britain.

The White Ensign

The Royal Navy assigned different coloured ensigns - red, white, and blue - to different naval commanders.

Nicholas Hawksmoor's reconstruction of St Anne's Limehouse was completed in 1729. One of church's churchwardens was involved in the supply of flags to the Navy and the merchant navy. As a result, St Anne's started flying the white ensign in 1730.

Before the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), Nelson ordered the vessels present to fly the white ensign rather than the flags of their individual admirals. This was to create the impression that the force present was but a single admiral's fleet, which implied that there might be still more British ships about to arrive from just beyond the horizon.

In 1865 it was ordered by an Act of Parliament that the white ensign be flown from every Royal Navy vessel. The measure granted St Anne's leave to continue to fly the flag, which it does.

Location: St Anne's Limehouse, 656 Commercial Road, E14 7HP

Website: https://stanneslimehouse.org

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge flies the white ensign. It is insured as a boat because in its early days because it was hit by so many vessels. Reclassification made it easier to settle claims.

Location: The River Thames, SE1 2UP (purple, blue)

See Also: BRIDGES Tower Bridge

Website: www.towerbridge.org.uk

David Backhouse 2024