Why I couldn't fly Leicestershire flag
With its red and white colour scheme and ancient symbols, a distinctive flag has represented Leicestershire for nearly 80 years.
But if you fancy flying one to show your support for the county, you might have more trouble than you bargained for.
Businessman Roger Taynton, who has flown British and English flags outside his business for many years, has scoured the county for a Leicestershire flag – to no avail.
In desperation, he turned to a company in neighbouring Nottinghamshire.
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Mr Taynton, 65, who owns Bond Street Glass, in Hinckley, said: "It is a nice flag which means a lot, but I've never seen one in Leicestershire.
"Counties such as Yorkshire and Lancashire are proud of theirs, but in Leicestershire we don't want to know. It's disgraceful.
"I have had to have two specially printed by a company in Nottinghamshire."
The county flag was granted by the Royal College of Heralds to the city in 1930. Its quarters are alternately red and white.
Each quarter bears a symbol from the arms of important families of the city.
The five-petalled flower, or cinquefolium, was the badge of Robert de Beaumont, made first Earl of Leicester in 1103.
The white lion with two tails on a red background was the arms of Simon de Montfort.
The white ermine tail is John of Gaunt's, while the fourth quarter shows a maunch, the sleeve of a medieval woman's dress, the badge of the Hastings family who built castles in Kirby Muxloe and Ashby.
Conservative MP for Bosworth David Tredinnick said: "There is no long tradition of flag flying in Leicestershire and I think that is because it's not really a very old symbol – certainly nowhere near as old as some other counties which have ancient symbols going back to the War of the Roses."
A spokesman for the county council said: "We fly the flag from the central pole of the County Hall every day.
"When we fly the Union flag we move the county flag to one of the outside poles as no flag can be flown in a more superior position than the Union flag."
The county flag is not flown from Leicester Town Hall.
A city council spokesman said: "We fly the Union flag daily. There is also a civic flag with the Leicester civic crest upon it and which is flown for civic events."
Emma Archer, 29, is from One-Stop Promotions, in St George's Way, which sells Union and St George's flags, but has never stocked the county flag.
Following the Mercury's call, Emma said the shop would now be ordering in some of the flags.
Maria Scrivens, manager of Leicester's visitor centre in the city's Town Hall Square, said: "We do get asked for it from time to time but we don't stock it. Just recently we found a supplier so we may start stocking it at soon."
The Mercury will be flying the county's flag today.
Comments
by steve marsh, norfolk
Wednesday, June 24 2009, 10:08AM
“you can buy the Leicestershire flag from theenglandstore.com
We have some information on it at englishcountyflags.com”
by Kulgan, Crydee
Wednesday, June 24 2009, 8:05AM
“P,
We must use the correct name for our Country's flag. It is the Union Flag. Accuracy is important.”
by P, leic
Monday, June 22 2009, 1:45PM
“Kulgan, Crydee.
Were not on here to criticise each other even though the queen has not got a ship with a jack.
We are here to support are right to fly the Flag of our country and county.”
by Kulgan, Crydee
Monday, June 22 2009, 10:10AM
“We should be proud to display both our County and Country's flags.”
by Julie, Leicester
Monday, June 22 2009, 9:46AM
“I've lived in Leicester for nearly twenty years now and never knew Leicestershire had it's own flag. In Cornwall you see their flag flown proudly everywhere to show their local identity,
it's a shame it's so different here.”
by Kulgan, Crydee
Monday, June 22 2009, 9:31AM
“Obviously P of Leicester you should know then that one refers to this Country's flag as the Union Flag unless it is flown from the Jack Mast of one of Her Majesty's Royal Navy vessels when it is known as the Union Jack. I am glad to see the LM reporting it correctly.”
by P, Leicester
Monday, June 22 2009, 9:05AM
“Every person should be allow to show there patriotism to the county and country.
You hear that people are threatened by the law to take down union jack's as they may offend the minority. WOW.
If they go back in history, they will find that if you are told to remove the flag of your country, it is a act of treason against the CROWN. And it still carries the death penalty. So do gooders beware.”