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

Can I suggest that you encourage your Devonian friends and colleagues to express their opinions on the 5 shortlisted designs.

The better the roll up the more meaningful the results.

To remind you, the designs can be seen at

http://www.users.senet.com.au/~dewnans

There have been a number of people responding to the flag shortlist who were critical that there was 'no choice but green'.

Although these responses are not very large in number, they may have a point.

A 'green' flag may (in some peoples minds) be associated with Argyle - which may not be a problem for most in Plymouth, but will be an issue for the followers of Exeter City and Torquay.

For the flag to be a 'unifying' symbol this may be an obstacle, and I suggest that we should at least consider whether a simple change would make the designs more generally acceptable in this respect.

One suggestion is to consider changing the main theme colour from 'grass green' to something a little different.

Obviously not to Red (because that has the same problem - only more so), but perhaps to an Aqua? This still has a 'green' component, but also includes more blue - which introduces a maritime influence - which is logical.

This would not suit all designs, because some would not look good wearing a different shade - but some may translate well.

I don't believe we should drop the current designs, because after all if that is what the majority want 'so be it', but perhaps we can put up an alternative or two.

Your thoughts??

You can do so here - or email me (via my web-site)

For those interested in the Devolution issue - I have set up an on-line petition essentially promoting devolution to Devon (rather than the 7 county region) and to let that assembly work with the Cornish and Dorset/Somerset folk as they think fit.

Please refer to the Devolution web site (when my message is posted) on

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/have_your_say/devolution.shtml

Or you can see the petition itself at

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/Devon/petition.html

The deadline for submissions is March 3

I have just posted the result of the 'Devon Flag' poll.

You can see the results on

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

Design #1 (Devonian's) was the convincing favourite, attracting more than three times as much support as the second placed design (Barumites). Plymouth Exile's design ran a close third.

The site received over 300 hits! (Not bad in only one month)

There was some negative feedback about the green colour (mostly from Exeter City Soccer supporters), which needs to be considered. Should the colour be made less 'Argyle-ish'??

Okay guys - where to from here?

I already have had some requests 'where can I get a flag?'.

Regards


Ozzie Exile

Mr Flag? you there?

Devonian has suggested that Mr Flag be contacted.

It would seem that we have reached the point of producing bumper stickers, flags etc...

I will email them.

Of course, we should make sure their quotes are competitive.

Any others??

Hello again Devonians

Just had my warning email (thanks) and here I am.

The design chosen is one that we're happy to stock in all sizes and offer for sale immediately on our website. Clearly no-one is obliged to buy from us if a better price can be found, but no-one is going to have to buy a large batch to start the ball rolling either.

I have two questions:

Firstly, are we now free to re-post that design and offer it for sale?

Second, does anyone have a 'story' or press release they'd like us to publish on the site?

Regards
MrFlag

Finally - success!!! (After my failed efforts)

Subject to anyone else shouting me down I think we should go ahead. The only issue I am aware of is a question over the shade of green (do we change it?)

Do Mr Flag do bumper stickers? What is the price for 1,000.

Also Mr Flag - what are your prices for Flags? (sizes etc..)

I would now be happy for Mr Flag to promote the flag - and I think we could quickly cobble together some words.

Hi everyone

As i already said a couple of weeks ago i have a rough quote for 1000 Bumper stickers for £388. it might be less as the chosen design has fewer colours than the example quote. please reply if you guys want to go ahead with this. I will need a copy of the design, and we need to organise money. I sugest the safest way of doing this is to see who wants to contribute and discuss it via private e-mail or phone call. we need to see about marketing and outlets. With war looming there may be less of a 'silly season' in the press. i suggest someone phones the buyers for all major petrol stations (there should be regional ones for the South West), also all museums and tourist attractions with shops in Devon. (the Tourist board will help with those) I don't live in Devon, as my name suggests, so those of you who do might have to take round samples to some places. I also think that a potted devon history and how the flag came about on some fliers available where we sell the stickers and flag would be useful. I should be able to do something there, perhaps with the help of ozzie exile and his website.

As to the colour... There's so much more to life than football...
We could change the green, but I feel that the county's rugby colours are green, and that is a unifying representation. If we constrain ourselves by various football colours it could take a while longer to get this off the ground. but if there is a popular demand...blue would seem a natural colour to incorporate

hopefully all devonians will recognise that the flag is more important than its design or colours, it represents the county, its individuality and history.

London Devonish

Sadly MrFlag doesn't do bumper stickers. Just flags.

Our price for the flags themselves can be found here: http://www.mrflag.com/display_product.asp?id=1172&search_text=devon

We'll happily post a story to go with the flag if someone writes it, and if that happens we'll move your flag to the front page of a couple of our better UK sites (mrflag.com and flag-net.com) for a week or so to see how it goes. Remember, the story of how this flag came to exist will be recorded and remembered and will spread gradually to enthusiasts all around the world (really!).

Unless anyone tells us we mustn't we intend to use the same green as is found in the Welsh Flag. You'll find that all flagmakers use the same basic three greens for national/subnational flags: G05 (Scout Green - too dark), G08 (Irish Green - too light), or G01 (Welsh Green - just right).

London Devonish et al,

I can send you a copy of the design if you send me your email address (you can get my email address from my web-site), although you could probably grab it from the BBC Devon web-site.

The design was Devonian's so he could send you 'the original'.
I don't have his email (that I know of) so we need him to show up here again if we do that.

As to the association with Argyle's colours - I agree that Green is (generally) associated as being Devon's colours - and I think we should stick with it.

I had thought that changing the shade (to say an aqua green) might take some of the 'soccer' objections away, but the fact is that the green design received almost 50% of the vote, so we must be careful if we meddle with democracy!!

As to the bumper stickers I think we should go ahead.

I received an email from Plymouth Exile o/night indicating that he is going to be out of touch for a few days - but says that 'we know his views'. I take this to mean to go ahead and don't wait for his input (Plymouth Exile - I hope I am spending your money wisely).

As to the verbage to give to Mr Flag, I will draft zummat, and share the draft with anyone who wants to and who gives me an email address. When ready we should announce it to the press??

As to contacting petrol stations etc.... its a longer walk from here than from London.

Mr Flag,

Where can we see the various colours.

If we use G01, can we please rename it 'Devon Green'?!!

You can call it whatever you like

We only call it Welsh Green because that's what we are (Welsh - not green).

If you email me your address ([email protected]) I'll send you a sample of it.

Here is a copy of the 'verbage' that I sent Mr Flag, so that they might launch the design on their web-site

"We are proud to announce that Devon now has a flag.

That flag, which has been been selected as the preferred design in two seperate polls, is a white cross, with a black outline, on a green background. The colours reflect the nature of Devon, the green its verdant rolling hills, the white reflects the surf and the china clay mines, and the black images the heights of Devon's moors. These colours are those traditionally worn by Devon's representative sporting teams - such as Devon's famous rugby union team.

Every flag has a story, and this one started at the BBC Devon website. An 'on-line' suggestion was made that Devon should have a flag, and the matter was discussed on the radio, on the web and in the newspapers. Momentum quickly grew with a number of designs being submitted to BBC Devon.

A poll was held on that web-site, and following the preparation of a shortlist, a follow up poll confirmed the chosen design.

A flag for and from the 21st Century - a product of the world wide web, and the democracy of a poll.

The flag is there to be an easily identified icon for Devon, a representation of Devon and its people, a symbol to promote its products and tourism, and a symbol of pride."

Any typo's are deliberate!

Anyone want to improve on these words - please do so.

Sounds good to me, Proper job!

Hello again

Having read your text again I notice (for the first time - believe it or not) that your description of the flag calls for a black outline around the white cross. I have to admit, I thought this was just something which appeared on the graphic and wasn't intended to appear in the finished article.

I think it's only fair to point out MY VIEW (that's all it is) that once flagmakers generally start making this flag - and they will - they'll make it without the black outline.

It's too narrow to be noticed on a flag flying upwards of 25 feet off the ground and probably therefore won't be included. In any case, the majority of customers (and therefore the majority of those flying the flag) will neither notice nor care.

Remember, the flag of Devon will be what the people of Devon end up flying - however that point is reached.

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Mr Flag,

I was sure that the black border to the white cross was deliberate, and my view is that we would like to keep it that way.

So - unless it is a real technical problem I would have thought we would stick with the black outline.

The traditional Devon flagpoles are short!!

Shout me down guys if I am out of line.

Mr Flag,

Having had another glance at your website, I note that you have a UK Civil Air Ensign flag, with a white outline around a dark blue cross, on an otherwise light blue background, except for a union flag in the top left quadrant.


Presuming this is true of the actual flag, (and I would assume it is because the union flag quadrant would look odd else) I presume that it is technically possible to have such a border??