Monday, July 24, 2006

Flying the flag

I guess this explains why national flags are far less in evidence in England than in the US:
Currently it is illegal to fly a national flag without permission from a local council - unless it is flown from a vertical flagpole.

The rule means thousands of football fans were technically breaking the law during the World Cup by displaying the Cross of St George.
(BBC news)
We must have been breaking the law then when we hung both a UK flag and a Stars and Stripes on my parents' house when we got married. From this article I would guess that English flags were very much in evidence recently, until the English football (soccer) team lost. Sounds like another example of an American tradition (flying the flag that is, not losing at soccer) catching on in the UK, just like the increasing commercialization in the UK of pseudo-holidays like Halloween.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I didn't know about the flag pole rule....got away with flying Union Jack and Stars and Stripes from the bedroom windows ( in U.K.) when our daughter married an American.

Mmm said...

It's rediculous all the red tape in the UK. I know that there have even been incidences where public govt. buildings haven't been allowed to fly the Union Jack instead of the EU flag. Conrol, control. I say Brits need to learn to love flying the lfag like it is flow here by Americans often--witness teenager's room here! LOL>

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