This year marks the first Armed Forces Day.
It is the first such day and would be a great opportunity for the country to show it’s support for our Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen who are completing the most difficult duties in some of the most inhospitable places on Earth.
The wesbsite dedicated to the day can be found here at Armed Forces Day
There is a special flag which would be a great way show your support.
What are these people on?
So our Armed forces come back from active operations in one of the most hostile inhospitable places on Earth and a council employee is not allowed to climb 8 feet to put up a flag in their honour?
I know where I would like to place the flag pole……
For decades the flag has proudly flown over the building in the historic market town of Bourne, Lincs, to honour official occasions.
But last month members of the public noticed that for the first time in living memory there was no St George’s Cross on the patron saint’s day.
Now it has emerged health and safety fears mean the pole will remain bare for Armed Forces Day on June 27 and the Queen’s birthday.
South Kesteven District Council, which maintains the Town Hall, says it is too risky to ask the site manager to climb a ladder and unfurl a flag.
Former soldiers condemned the stance as an insult to the bravery of members of the services.
Town councillor and former mayor Brian Fines, 72, a former Lieutenant Colonel, said: “What a sad and sick society we’re becoming.
“This despotic government’s health and safety laws have prevented the council flying a flag from the building that’s the hub of our town.
“We’re told they’re not allowed to use a ladder to access the mast, which is ridiculous. It’s annoying and upsetting a lot of people.”
The council has offerend no response but the current mayor, Councillor Shirley Cliffe, branded the situation “ridiculous” and confessed: “I just don’t understand it.”
Although it seems an outcry lead them to think again:
It had been feared the same ruling would apply for Armed
forces Day on June 27, but following persistent campaigning from Bourne Town Council and the Royal British Legion, officials from South Kesteven District Council, which owns the building, have promised the Union Flag will be flown.Former mayor Brian Fines (72), who is chairman of Bourne’s Armed Forces Day Committee, said he welcomed the about-turn.
He said: “I have spoken to many, many armed forces veterans about this situation and they were all absolutely appalled when the flag was not flown on St George’s Day. Many of them would go so far as to say that not displaying the Union Flag on Armed Forces Day would have been an insult to all those who have fought for their country. If the district council has seen sense and is no longer a slave to this ridiculous health and safety culture, that has to be a good thing.”
Council officials ruled it would be too dangerous to attempt to raise a flag on St George’s Day because it would have involved resting an 8ft ladder on a plinth above a spiked gate. But they now say a “short-term” solution has been found to allow the Union Flag to be flown on Armed Forces Day, as well as on the Queen’s birthday on June 13.
Ex-serviceman and Royal British Legion committee member Don Fisher, of West Road in Bourne, said: “We protested very loudly about this health and safety nonsense, and I’m glad our message seems to have got through.”
South Kesteven District Council’s corporate head Paul Stokes issued an apology on behalf of the authority for the delay in finding a solution to the flag problem.
“It was never our intention to cause any distress to the brave members of our armed forces, or the people of Bourne,” he said.
“I would like to thank the people of Bourne for their patience with us, but I guarantee that the flag will fly in June.”
Be careful when it comes to flags and photo opportunities!
This Northamptonshire Jeweller discovered just how contraversial flags can be when he hoisted black and white Union Jacks outside his shop to promote some punk jewellery.
From the Northampton Chronicle
Published Date: 06 May 2009
A jeweller has been forced to remove a set of black and white Union Flags from outside his Northampton shop after being sent racially abusive emails.
Steffan Suter, of Steffan’s Jewellers in York Road, was labelled a “white hater” by one complainant after putting up the promotional flags as part of a campaign for a new punk-influenced line of jewellery.
But one of the flags was ripped down at the weekend, and several people offended by the monochrome design have gone into the shop to complain that the jewellers had “defaced” the national flag.
Mr Suter said the remaining flags would be taken down as a result of the backlash.
He said: “The first couple of times people came into the shop, we didn’t really think much of it. One actually came in asking if the Queen or a member of the Royal Family had died. But then we got an email from someone at the weekend calling me a “white hater” and other offensive terms, and people seemed to be offended that we had defaced the Union Jack.
“When someone climbed up the building and tore one of them down, we decided it would probably be best just to take them down and replace them with red, white and blue flags.”
The black and white Union Flags were installed to promote the jeweller’s London Calling line, influenced by the 1979 album by The Clash. Mr Suter’s son found a supplier on the internet who produced the flags for Newcastle United supporters.
He said: “Because these flags are made for football fans and used regularly at Newcastle United games, we didn’t think anything of using them. Getting into racial arguments was the last thing on my mind when I put them up.
“We wanted something a bit more grungy and alternative to go with the punk jewellery and thought they were perfect for it.”
The remaining flags outside the York Road shop and another store in Market Harborough were taken down yesterday to be replaced with the traditional Union Flag
Designed by St George