However when we were approached by our client Sosna Witts workplace design (http://www.sosnawitts.com/) to mount a union flag to one of the most famous retail frontages in the country we had to find a way to make it happen.  Liberty have an incredible Tudor style frontage on their flagship Great Marlborough Street store in Central London. We had to find a way to fit a large Union Jack to the building with only the smallest of areas available to fit the necessary brackets.

Martin Witts dropped our operation director Steve a line “Visited this morning Flags look great, thanks for your part in making this happen. Martin.”

We never get bored of seeing a flag doing what it should, standing proud and letting every body know what it stands for.  With Liberty now prepared we’re still flat out making sure as many people as possible get to show their support for the Queen in her 60^th Year on the Throne

They have gained special permission from the US Embassy to fly the Stars and Stripes from the flagpole of St Mary’s Church in the village of Walditch to commemorate the stationing of some 400 US servicemen near the town prior to the D-Day landings.

The campaign to have the dedication was led by local researcher, Robin Stapleton, who said of the decision, “The only marks left by the heroic men in the area since their departure were some etchings on two trees in a private garden. Around 189 of them gave their lives in the D-Day landings.

“Other than the carvings – some initials, the Stars and Stripes and a female leg – on the trees, there is now nothing to show they were ever in the village. The plaque will provide a permanent record that they were here and what they went on to afterwards. These young men deserve not to be forgotten for what they went through, many of them losing their lives, or wounded within the first few minutes or hours of landing on Omaha Beach.”

Senior officer, Phil Davies, who is a superintendent with the force, said, “At no point did Greater Manchester Police undertake any advice to the network of licensed premises to remove St George’s flags from public display.

“Flags have been flying high for England and St George across the Bolton area over the past few days and, as an organisation, we have been enjoying our part in the festivities.” He added, “The Union flag is displayed proudly at our divisional headquarters. We are currently investigating where this erroneous report has come from.”

As a further endorsement of Bolton’s hostelries, he concluded, “Police in Bolton have worked hard to establish strong working relationships with licensees in the area to protect the quality of life for local residents and ensure that Bolton remains a safe place to socialise and visit.”

And of course, the Flag Inn at nearby Bromley Cross, and the Flag Inn at Egerton are particularly confused. They believe that if they don’t change their names to something less offensive, rumours will abound about their establishments as well. And finally, you don’t really need any flags at all to identify the fact that Ye Olde Man & Scythe in the town centre, shown in the photograph, is a truly English pub.

The cabinet minister said that the demand showed a ‘deep sense of political insecurity, and called on the European Union to ‘grow up’. The flag, comprising a circle of twelve golden stars on an azure background, must currently be flown for one week every year, starting from Europe Day on 9 May.

Under the new rules, which are due to take effect within the next two years, Mr Pickles could even face being fined by the EU if he fails to fly the flag every day outside his office. And he’s particularly angry because more than 1,000 other bodies may be obliged to comply. These would include Cambridge University, Jamie Oliver’s 15 restaurant in Cornwall and the home of snooker, The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

Rumour has it that Brussels is also considering changing the colours of snooker balls to comply with the flag colours. The red ball would become blue and the blue ball would become gold. But thank heavens for small mercies, the white would still be white because it matches the colour of the flagpole.

As one of the oldest Military charities the Royal British Legion does a huge amount of work to support ex-service men and their families who have served in all conflicts in the defence of Britain.  They are perhaps best known for their annual poppy day collections but behind the scenes they strive to ensure that the men and women who enrol in the armed forces are cared for once they leave the protective environment of active service.

An important part of the Royal British Legion is the pageantry associated with the rituals of remembrance and to honour for those who have fallen. The iconic image of the Royal British Legion standard being lowered is one that Porters is hugely proud to be associated with.  We manufacture these standards with utmost of care and recognise that they are much more than simple ornaments but they symbolise the sacrifice made by many

Throughout the conference Porters will be on hand to discuss all aspects of ceremonial regalia and we will be showcasing the latest Parade Union and Ceremonial Standards, manufactured from the finest heraldic materials.  There will also be the opportunity to purchase accessories and place commissions for new standards.

About Porters

Porters are one of Britains oldest flagmakers, Founded in 1905 by Herbert Porter to serve the busy shipping industry in the port of Liverpool, they rapidly became the ‘Flagmaker of Empire’ with customers through out the world.  They have a long association with ceremonial and regimental flags and produce official standards for a wide range of military and civil organisations.  Porters have recently moved to new premises in Birkenhead to accommodate their growing workforce.

The flag requested was the Newfoundland Red Ensign. Ensigns are flags used at sea for civil and naval shipping, to show in which port or country ships are registered. Newfoundland was once a British colony but is now part of present day Canada. Their ensign is based on the Standard British red ensign, but with the addition of a Newfoundland badge. But we’d never produced one before, so how could we source the design?

There was only one man for the job – the top man at the Flag Institute, chief vexillologist, Graham Bartram. He quickly came back to us with this fascinating description of the detail in the badge and it’s significance.

“The badge consists of the god Mercury (hence the winged helmet and shoes and the snake-entwined staff (caduceus) presenting a fisherman with a net of fish to Britannia. Britannia’s shield should have a proper Union flag on it but since this is an enlargement of a badge less than an inch across that detail has been lost. Notice the strategic placing of Mercury’s cloak to cover his modesty!

“The basic colour scheme consists of shades of red and pink, but the ship should be a pale golden brown. The motto reads HAEC TIBI DONA FERO – These gifts I bring thee. Note that the AE in HAEC is a ligature.”

Thanks to this detective work and armed with some very precise information, we could quickly print this rare flag and send it on its way to Newfoundland. Another satisfied client, thanks the ingenuity of the team at Flagmakers.

Gloriana is the first royal barge to have been built in a hundred years and last month the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh braved heavy rain and driving winds to name the vessel in her honour. Resplendent in red, the Queen descended the gangway at Greenland Pier on the Thames in London’s Docklands to board the barge. Afterwards, it will make its way to Wandsworth Bridge from where it will lead the Jubilee pageant as part of a 1,000-strong flotilla of boats on 3 June.

Lord Sterling, who organised public celebrations for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, and is behind the project, thanked them for attending by saying, “It’s very much appreciated, in this inclement weather, that you have troubled to come. The barge is looking very special. It will be a lasting legacy of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.”

And our contribution? We helped to make the 94-foot vessel, decorated with gold leaf and ornately carved, look even more spectacular by installing the poles and flags on its decks. They will add their own touch of formality to the pageant as they gently flutter in the breeze during the rowboat’s celebratory cruise on the Thames. God bless Gloriana and all who sail in her!

It’s such a personal message (to our sales executive, Charlotte Thomas-Lines, who arranged the deal) that we’re sure he won’t mind being named. He’s Roland Waters, the CEO of Crashcare Group, a company that supplies road traffic accident services and replacement vehicles across the UK. Here’s the email, verbatim:

“The day was made that little bit more special with some reflected glory for good old Dad because of you and the Flagmakers. I’ll double check with the now Mr & Mrs Bucknall as it may be there are a few wedding pics with the bunting in, which I am sure the marrieds will say yey to being upon any advertising material Flaggers & Co may wish to use. Also, one of the photographers was a newly set up business and did the job for free to have and use the many images he shot too, so all should be there if the Flaggers want.

“In any event, apart from me forgetting to take my new shoes to wear (there’s always one!), the day was perfect and you and the Flaggers were a part of it, so once again my many great thanks to the good efforts made for a typical last min.com Dad. Yr the stars”.

We think he must be the perfect customer. We’re just wondering if he has any other daughters who might be getting hitched soon?

The banner depicts scenes illustrating the values of the Ancient Order of Foresters, a Friendly Society of the type that was very popular in the 1900’s. Their philanthropic members would contribute to society funds that would then be distributed to the needy.

Part of the caring and colourful culture of the societies was demonstrated by their use of banners, both large and small, that were used by groups of primarily working people during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Some of these banners have survived into the 21^st century, but are now in need of much loving care and attention to restore them to their original condition. Given the age of our banner shown here, it’s in an incredible state of preservation. It has been housed in a bespoke display cabinet that is built through the wall so that the flag can be viewed from both sides.

In those days, a top-of-the-range India Rubber Silk Banner would have cost 23 guineas (£25.20). And an extra half-crown (12.5p) would have bought ‘two poles, brass knobs, fittings, straps and sockets’. True value indeed.

So much so that these good people of our noble cathedral city have joined forces to promote Salisbury as a Purple Flag destination. This signifies it as having a ‘gold standard’ mark of quality for its night-time facilities. It indicates that it’s a safe and amenable area for people to enjoy a night out without any bother.

Keith Humphries, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for public protection, said of the potential award, “It is great to see local businesses and organisations working together to make Salisbury a desirable night-time destination for people of all ages.” He added, “All the town centre stakeholders have been working together to raise its quality. Achieving Purple Flag status would be a great reward for all this hard work.”

Let’s hope that this beautiful tourist city hits its purple patch in the not too distant future.