h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Great news about the feedback at the DC show!
How much are the bumper stickers? I'll take 5 to start with (even though I don't own a car!)
By the way I have started a new topic on this site some of you might be interested in. Titled "A Lobby for Devon".


Davyth

In case you missed it, the flag was featured in the Herald Express on Friday. Mostly very familiar from the previous items in the sister-papers, though with a handful of Torquay-centric vox-pops thrown in!

http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=100940&command=displayContent&sourceNode=100849&contentPK=5605431

You'll be pleased to hear that a large flag is dominating a street in Dartmouth at present, flown by one of the proudest Devonians I know of. I'm reliably informed that it's the very same one spotted in the Scillies a couple of weeks back!

I have obtained a number of quotes for bumper stickers.

The cost will be somewhere around £210 to £270 for 250 - depending on size and the ability to get an acceptable grey through black microdots.

One issue is size (size is important!)

I originally sought a quote for a sticker 15cm x 12cm.

However the printer suggested this might be a bit large for most bumpers, so I asked about 12cm x 10cm and 11cm x 8cm.

the prices don't change much - the costs savings were 4% and 5.5% respectively, as obviously the raw materials themselves not the expensive items in a small run like this.

So - we are talking cost of around £1 each (+ postage)

PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE RIGHTS SIZE

It was good to hear that the flag was flying in Dartmouth.

The flag also got a 'brief' mention in the WMN - see link below.

http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=77707&command=displayContent&sourceNode=77259&contentPK=5581571

Just read the article in the Herald.
mmmmmm
Can I have some of the mind altering drugs some of the contributers in the article seem to be on!?
A Palm tree on a flag? Similar to the Irish flag? And which Irish flag would that be?!
Anyway, not to worry.
Bumper stickers, 12cm x 10cm seem like they'd be OK.

Davyth

By the way, just been on Mr Flag, and we're in the top five. Obviously the media coverage and DC show is filtering through. Anyone aware of any other flag makers who are manufacturing the flag?

Davyth

Don't believe EVERYTHING you read.

We're getting an average of 2 or 3 orders a day for the Devon flag... but it's in the top 5 best-seller list because I manipulated the list to put it there. It has dipped into the list on it's own occasionally, but I'm keeping it there because I reckon it deserves it.

We had an enquiry today from the BBC who want a big Devon flag for some comedy series set in Devon they're about to start filming. Interesting.

We're also getting enquiries from people for your blasted bumper stickers. What do you want us to do with those?

Finally, we've had contact from one other flagmaker wanting confirmation of which green is correct... which of course we gave.

Hi all,

Sorry i have not been in touch recently, work has ensured i am away from home ( and my computer) for a while.

Good news about the Bumper Stickers and all the publicity, its all going well. Have the Bumper stickers been ordered yet as my quotes were around 50 - 60 p a sticker. Its My fault as i have been out of contact for a while..... If anyone wants me to persue this i will, if wheels are already in motion then no worries.


London Devonish

I have just forwarded an email that I received from Parferris to most of you. It concerns an article in the Herald Express. It seems it would not appear on SoP when Parferris tried.

Kevin Pyne seems a remarkable man.

London Devonish - I didn't send it to you as I am not sure about you email address - if you want a copy drop me your details to [email protected]. Also if I have forgotten anybody, ditto.

LD, you mention a price of 50-60p for bumper stickers. I can get that sort of price (and cheaper) for larger volumes or for less colours but my price was for a small run of 250 and for four colours (green, black, grey, blue and a white background)[Follow up runs would be cheaper]. I think I am up for around £1 a sticker here, but if you can get 50-60p for the same deal then shout.

Unless I hear otherwise I will go ahead and run 250 with the 4 colours, and then we need to try to ease a few into the shops, petrol stations etc..

Did you see Mr Flag had received enquiries from people regarding bumper stickers? I wonder if it would be possible to get in touch with these people?

Davyth

Hello
How can I buy my car stickers and how have you put in middle Devon or Dumnonia or the Celtic dewnens (cornish) for devon I must have five the flags are going well was in weymouth for there gig event great day out but not flying the flsgs of ether Devon or cornawall am promised flags for next year.
I am so sorry to have missed the first phase of this wonderfull thing but I was very ill .The Cornish dont mind Or at least the ones I was with .please forgive torquay its not there fault they seem to have lost there way a bit .I have constructed new flag pole on boat for bigger flag when flush Ross my son bought six more this all for locals week I would like to be among the first to have a car sticker in the county as well as.
What abouth the tarton is there a full dress spec and code' is he flag regesterd.
my daughter has offered to make me a duvet cover for Christmas next or is this an improper use of the coulours plase advise also I think the flag is for all of us new folk and old long time devon people as well .If you help buid the fire you are welcome to sit next to it dont come along when the fire is lit and expect the warmpth with out any effort. The place is what the flag stnds for lets unite behind it
St petroc has my vote as th Patron st of Devon .The good saint is in part the reason I am still alive i should have deid in november I am sure that I had a hand anyway I am not a drinking man but will toasts him with water on 4th June.
Regards Kevin

Kevin,

Welcome to the discussion. The car bumper stickers are not yet available, but you can see three possible designs for the stickers at the following web address:-

http://users.senet.com.au/~dewnans/bumperstickers.html

The majority preference is for design #2, but it would cost a few pence more to produce (per sticker) than design #3. I am afraid that what with the sad state of education in Devon, if the words 'Dumnonia' or 'Dewnans' had been put on the sticker instead of 'Devon', most Devonians would not have understood what it meant. The problem is that the school curriculum in history does not cater for regional or county variations, it just treats England as a uniform 'Anglo-Saxon' area with no mention of large areas of Celtic survival, e.g. the South West.

As for a Patron Saint for Devon, I am with Kevin on this one, and strongly in favour of St. Petroc. All Devon Flags should be flying on 4th June (St. Petroc's Day).

Concerning the marketing of the bumper stickers, I don't think we are going to get as far as we have with the flag (thanks to Mr Flag), until we can find a Devon company which specialises in Devon promotional items and is willing to market the stickers to their normal retail outlets. There is obviously a market for them, as Mr Flag has been receiving requests for them. Does anyone know of a such a company or organisation which would be willing to carry out the marketing?

Plymouth Exile

Kevin,

As Plymouth Exile said - bumper stickers aren't quite here yet.

I am meeting with a printer tomorrow, and I will know more after that.

The likely design will be design #2 (see the link shown above), although we may be able to save a few pence if we can adequately represent the grey with very fine black dots - as it saves them having to use an extra colour

I think I may have achieved that - and I will show the printer both versions and see what he says.

Once we have something to physically show people (and if a few start being seen around) I think we will find shops will be willing to stock them and the volumes will pick up.

I have also asked Mr Flag to forward any requests he gets to me. He has forwarded a couple so far.

As stated by Plymouth Exile, this run of the stickers will have DEVON in bold for reasons of gaining maximum understanding and acceptance.

Perhaps if they take off we can introduce a 'Dewnans', 'Dumnonia', or 'Dyvneint' version (the last being Devon in Welsh) for those who want to make an even more explicit statement about their celtic background.

How about a Breton version (Denvent) I have read somewhere is the Breton word for Devon. My Welsh speaking friend has informed me the welsh fopr Devon is Dyfnaint.

Davyth

I thought that Devon in Welsh was Dyfneint (pronounced 'Duv-nine-t'), and meaning 'Dark Valleys', as does Dewnans in Cornish.

Plymouth Exile

Think you can use Dyfnaint or Dyfneint. However, If you check out any stories on BBC Cymru related to Devon they genrally use the Dyfnaint spelling.
The Breton is spelt Devnent (which is similar to the Welsh). The f in Welsh is the v sound.

Davyth

With regard to the bumper stickers dialogue i thik sticking with DEVON is best for starters, up here in Scotland you see bumper stickers in equal amounts saying either Sco, Ecosse (French i believe)of Alba (being scots-gaelic for scotland).

I prefer design 2 and feel certain that they will take off alongside the flag, just a shame im a poor student otherwise i'd invest along with you all.

I never thought of researching Devon using its Breton name, i found a whole host of interesting stories when i used the Welsh version.

Is anyone aware of any other counties which have names in Welsh?
I know Cornwall and Cumbria have Welsh Version but was wondering if there were any more? surely if those are the only other two then that would strengthen the case for Devons celtic recognition.

Somerset has a Welsh name - Gwlad-yr-Haf (Summer Land), Kent is Cant. Plus there are many historical English cities with Welsh names, such as Chester (Caer) and York (Efrog)(sp?), the county names are made by putting the Welsh for Shire infront of these for example Sir Caer for Cheshire and Sir Efrog for Yorkshire. Indeed Exeter's Welsh name is Caer-Wysg pronounced like the Cornish for Exeter, Keresk or Karesk. There is a page on the internet which is fairly easy to find on a search engine with a whole list of place names with Welsh translations.
I am happy with bumper sticker 2 with DEVON written across it.

Davyth

Davyth,

I have also seen Plymouth referred to in a Welsh document as Aberplymm, i.e. literally 'The Mouth of the Plym". Also, while doing a search on 'Dyfnaint' (or was it 'Dyfneint') using Google some time ago, I came across a Welsh history site, which stated that Southern Britain was divided into four states at the end of the Dark Ages. These were Cerniew (Cornwall), Dyfnaint (Devon), Lloegyr (Southern England) and Cymru (Wales), and that to the North of this was the area inhabited by the Danes (commonly known as the Danelaw). However, as there were a number of obvious errors in the remainder of the page, I do not think that we can take this account as being absolute fact. It was interesting though that the author had separated Devon out from the rest of Southern England.

Plymouth Exile

I have also seen Plymouth refered to as Aberplymm, but in Cornish rather that Welsh. Lloegyr is still the present Welsh word for England. I know many Welsh speakers differentiate Devon & Cornwall from Lloegyr (England). Many Welsh speakers have a greater appreciation of the shared linguistic and cultural heritage.

Davyth

What is the status of your quest for bumper stickers?

I'm currently looking at producing some as a promotional tool - possibly to send out free of charge when people order the flags.

They'll be promoting MrFlag.com too (obviously), but they may fill a gap.

Perhaps anyone with comments/suggestions/complaints about this could email me? [email protected]

Thanks