What do you think of the flags?

[Latesummersunset]

Apologies if this has been done already.

I live in one of the areas where the flags were started. We couldn’t understand what they were for until it popped up in the news. Apparently the councils are going to be taking them down.

I don’t really have much of an opinion either way but my concern is that they’ll soon become tatty, fall down and leave a mess everywhere. But it seems lots of people are loving them. They do look quite cheery at the moment.

What do people think?

Yabu - they are a mess/racist/health and safety hazard

Yanbu - they are cheerful and patriotic. Keep them

It would absolutely put me off, too.

The residents in a local supported accommodation for elders put up Union Jack bunting for Royal occasions. It's fun and brightens up the village.

Yes, I agree, testament to the fact that it is not how 'all' citizens are feeling at all!

I live in a tiny English village. We have a flag pole on the village green opposite my house and the Union flag or the flag of St George fly all the time. It's beautiful. I live near Worcester, which was on the news earlier in the week , because lots of flags have appeared. The council are not taking them down. I am proud to be English and British. The flags are our national flags and we should be allowed to fly them. If I went to Spain or Portugal or to a village in France and saw their national flags everywhere I would think it looked lovely and good for them.

I worry I’d get asked to join a march of some sort when really I’m just trying to have my breakfast in peace.

I'd love to know what their response was!

I think I'd've put a Pride flag up, just to be contrary. Although just telling them to fuck off and mind their own business would have been a lot less effort.

Post of the thread for pearl clutching 😆 🤣 😂

I'm proud to be British and I like to see England, Scotland, Wales flags when a sporting event is on. I also like to see the Union flag on a village green or townhall. But, I would not buy a house next door to flag hoisters. I'd assume they were racists.

Yes, I would feel like that.

All over the land, cries of "Fuck off, I'm eating trifle!" will be heard from the nay-flaggers, as the slam their windows and shut the blinds!!

Really though, the amount of abuse I've gotten online recently for not being a shagger of the flags is unreal.

Apparently we don't get to just 'not get involved' any more - it will be NOTED, and us TRAITORS will be DEALT WITH FIRST!

And these people wonder why people think they're twunts!! 🙄

What on earth is wrong with keffiyehs? People have been wearing them for decades, I bought my first one in the late 70s in Kensington Market.

They're popular with motorcyclists because they're so practical. They're warm, soft, big enough to use as sun protection on the beach and wash and dry without creases so no need to trouble the iron.

This made me lol!

Probably because you were uttering flagshagger and gammon. They must have mistaken you for a teenage rebel.

No. Not due to any particular reason, just not flying one. Enjoy seeing them though...

I stopped reading at Kensington. It explains a lot.

Hardly, a post that epitomises the Britain I know - wanting to live in relative peace and accepting that there is very little we are all going to agree on, all of the time as that is key to living in a British democracy.

😂

Love the Mark Francois mention!

Yes, stereotyping can be problematic, indeed. It still doesn't stop you though.

We have a war memorial in our town where the union jack flag flies 12 months a year. I think it's lovely. Never heard any derogatory comments from anyone, whatever their race/colour.

I would like to see the St George's flag and the Union Jack reclaimed and flown or painted wherever, as a return to the gentle, non fervent and non frothing patriotism that we used to see in the UK.

I'm old enough to remember Swinging London in the sixties, with the Union Jack becoming very fashionable, appearing everywhere, on clothes and minis and carrier bags.
It wasn't motivated by politics or protest then. OK, maybe motivated by profit, but there was a certain amount of pride and enjoyment as well.

But they're not are they? English flags are removed. Pride/Palestine/Ukraine flags can flap wherever they please.

So, is it okay to put out flags on Royal birthdays, football tournaments, and the olympics? Just stay away from random Thursdays and St George’s day? Or are the UK flag and English flag always ambiguous in their meaning?

I used to work in local government, and there was an official guide to what flags should be flown on which days. It was actually someone's job to make sure the appropriate flag was flown at county hall on the right day. I only ever saw the England flag on St George's Day, and the Union flag a few days a year.

The county flag was flown every day though, which I think is reasonable for a county council.

Or just someone who thinks it's pathetic, unnecessary and chavvy to throw flags up everywhere and think it makes you look hard.

Nice brushing over of the bit where actual threats are being thrown around, though.

Says a lot.