DH and his flag pole dream….

[Lilysienna1]

DH mentioned a few years ago, that he has ‘always wanted’ to have a flag on display in the front garden. A proper flag on a pole, that we would raise up every morning, and ‘fly at half mast’ when the occasion calls for it.

I have never ever even thought of having a flag. We are British and I know it’s quite common in America, but not so much here. DH isn’t a football fan, so it’s nothing to do with the flag flying we see during the World Cup and the like.

last year, for Christmas he said the only present he would wish for, was to have that flag. He was most disappointed with the watch and aftershave he received instead.

He has now mentioned it to 13 year old DD who thinks it’s ‘kinda cool’ and she could imagine using it behind her for tik tok dances.

So now, I’m being made out to be highly unreasonable and a bore, for saying I do not want to raise a bloody flag every morning and see it outside the front of my house every day. I did try to compromise by saying ‘maybe’ a small one in the back garden, but DH says it’s to go out the front only, and why should we be ashamed of patriotism.

We don’t live in a grand estate home, just a detached house in a redrow cul-de-sac. The neighbours wouldn’t be affected as there are large trees between our only neigbours drive and ours, and we are on the corner.

However, everyone that comes in and out our road will see it as it’s the first house.

what would you do?? Give in and say yes to DH and his flag pole or put your foot down? Am I really being that unreasonable and boring? Does anyone else fly a flag? 🤦🏻‍♀️

I want a flag pole in my garden now 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@wizzywig Dp you think it would be more acceptable if her DH changed it up sometimes, as people do here in the States?

@Daisymay2 I like your neighbors’ approach, celebrating occasions with various flags.

Lol

I harbour dark suspicions that a flag complete with pole is in your future.

The least you can do is to hoist the Jolly Roger under cover if nightfall.

When I were a lass, more moons ago than I care to count, someone, who may or may not have been yours truly, replaced the Conservative Union Union Jack with the Hammer and Sickle. Dreadful!

Look on the bright side. That's your Christmas and Birthday presents sorted FOREVER - a new flag! Just what he wanted! It will become a family joke/tradition with the children buying him a new flag for Christmas too. You can all have fun finding unusual flags and appropriate days to fly them.

Eventually he'll reach a point when he longs for a different present but is too polite to say so. Then he'll suggest moving house and that will be the last you see of the flag pole. 😂

@PeggyPoggleshaw

"Obvious reasons"

For us the top 2:

• Would make us look like twats.
• They're bloody noisy.

A house I drive past daily has a mast with union Jack and bunting all year round. It's a busy road, a semi and the house is very close to the road, so you couldn't miss it. The adjoining house was on the market for ages, despite being a very popular area. The local word was that prospective buyers were put off by the 'display' (it was edited out of agents photographs), so this would be my concern.

What a lovely story 💗

It's getting silly now isn't it? It seems the only people in the WORLD who need to be ashamed of flying their flag is the BRITISH - specifically the ENGLISH. And ya know what, the only ones bashing it and calling it tacky and embarrassing and all that shit are ENGLISH people. They should be ashamed of themselves ... I am actually embarrassed for them.

@Newchapterbeckons

On a serious note, I really refuse to be forced into shame and instructed to hate my country, hate my flag.

We have an imperfect but beautiful island that has so much going for it, the culture, the history, the accessible art, incredible world class music scene, museums and a kind country that does its best to be fair and inclusive ( with still a way to go but we will get there)

I just will not have this endless attack on our culture and heritage. You will not force an environment of hate, grim blame and shame and silence our celebrations.

So take the hate elsewhere, and let people fly their many flags and bring a warmth and enrichment of living altogether in peace and the progress we have made. 🇬🇧❤️

If I could THANK this post a dozen times I would.

It must be great being so enlightened that you don’t have any negative opinions about anything.

Please, how can I be more tolerant and broad-minded about a flag pole, tell me? Is there a medical reason for one? Am I discriminating against a protected group?

I would never do or say anything if someone had a flag pole, but I would think that looks stupid and the people who put it up have bad taste.
Apparently that opinion (which you’d only know if you asked, which this post has) makes me a narrow minded bigot 😂😂

I wonder if there will be a run on flag poles! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

You forgot 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Thank you for your lovely post. It’s just how I feel, so little gratitude for our lovely country as it is, if we all loved and respected our country a little more imagine how much better we would all feel, what a difference it would make to our children. I worry some of these posts are from actual parents and the constant stream of negativity and bigotry their poor children must be exposed to.

We were talking about the Union Jack but can add another if you wish 👍🏻

I have plenty of negative opinions. But they are all based on more substantive reasons than the fact they happen to have a flagpole outside their house. For example, I’d probably feel that actually meeting them was a useful ingredient in a judgment of “twat.” That kind of snap judgment on the basis of something so trivial is entirely intolerant. Maybe just avert thine eyes next time you are confronted by one.

Only acceptable flag is a pirate one.

Do you know what OP after your first post I was going to say no way, everyone will think you're racist. But after reading your updates your DH sounds like a great sweet fellow with a funny eccentricity, let him have his flag! I too remember visiting the States as a child and being in awe of the flags (although I must admit that 30 years on they don't appeal to me anymore!). I think have fun with it get different ones. And if you have any garden dreams of your own (tacky gnome? Stone dragon? Full working fountain?) now is the time to bargain for them.

In fairness in the streets around me (very normal town) there's two flag pole fliers. One has the English flag, the other one is amazing, their garden has every decoration you can imagine - flamingoes, trolls, minigolf windmills, the lot. Union Jack in the middle of it all on a pole. The local children love seeing both flags, and I've never formed any negative opinion on it.

I agree with this.

My neighbours flag pole does cause some issues, they do fly political flags and in the past they have flown the ukip flag which my dd was outraged by. We do have a festival flag pole so dd effected it in the garden and flew the LGBT flag during lock down. The same neighbours also set off fireworks to celebrate brexit.

I will certainly avert my eyes, whilst thinking “ugh I’m going to try not to look at that twatty flagpole”

Thank you.
I am so proud every time people talk about him and when they say they are so happy that I as his granddaughter have ‘come home’ to them.

🤣Fair enough!

How deep does this peculiar anti British sentiment actually go?

Do they also hate -

British food with flags?
British proms?
British wine?
Dramas?
Royal Family?
Winston Churchill?
Veterans?
The army?
All of our history?

I fail to see how how it would ever stop at flags. I imagine the hate dressed up as virtue runs far deeper than flags and bunting.

I can’t imagine why anyone would choose to remain living in a country so repugnant to them? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Oh FFS sake !!

I dislike all of those except dramas and history.

Not sure that makes me ‘filled with hate’

Try moving to the USA and expressing that opinion. You wouldn’t get far because Americans have pride in their flag - it means something. The way ours used to before it was highjacked. We’re not all bigots and racists because we have pride in our flag.