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

This posting serves two purposes

One - I am interested to find out what is happening with the Devon Flag media release and car stickers. I must say that I am not prepared to appear on TV myself but perhaps somebody else has stepped forward?

Two - I note that the Devon Flag topic has sunk off the bottom of the 'most recent conversations' list on the BBC sense of place webpage, and hopefully this "new" discussion will reinstate it.

May I suggest that you continue to repond to the old discussion as it might be better to maintain continuity.

Kerswell,

I have been working on a media release and a draft has gone to Ozzie Exile and Devonian who have stated that they are willing to talk to the media.

Do you (or anybody else) want to see a copy first?

It is a pity that no-one based in Devon is prepared to meet a TV camera head on - we may lose an opportunity. I do have an idea, but I will put that direct to the BBC.

Sounds like you have enough cooks already.

Goodluck.

Sounds like you have enough cooks already.

Goodluck.

Much has been said about Devon's traditional colours including green.

(These include the Flag flown by the Duke of Exmouth at the battle of Algiers, Devon's Rugby team colours etc etc,,)

I recently found that when Queen Elisabeth honoured Drake for his circumnavigatuion of the World in 1580, he was given a green scarf (as well as £10,000... and a minature picture of her majesty (Hmm!).

http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/SirFrancisDrake.html

Another link to the colours in our flag.

The Devon Flag Group (DFG) has released a number of 'special days' to fly the Devon Flag.

This is summarised on

http://members.fortunecity.com/devonflaggroup

Some of the tales about the ancient Devon Saints are interesting of themselves.

The Sunday Independent carried a story on the Devon Flag days, and I believe Radio Devon also were going to air on the subject.

It seems that (in East Devon at least) the council may require you to have planning permission before you can fly the Devon Flag.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/news_features/2004/flag_fury.shtml

What nonsense!!!!!

Perhaps the neighbour was Cornish????

Devon's Rugby Union Team has now made it through to the final of the County Chamionship, having beaten Yorkshire.

The team is headed for Twickenham where they meet Gloucestershire (on 29th May).

Hopefully the match will attract thousands of Devonians - and hundreds of Devon Flags!?

The Devon Flag has been flying (in numbers) at the County Show.

Here are links to a couple of pictures on the BBC Devon site

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/discovering/devon_flag/frontpage.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/going_out/2004/county_show.shtml

The link to the photo gallery in the second of these does not happen to be working as I write this (but was earlier).

They look good!

A member of the Devon Flag Group has written to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister about the need for planning permission to fly the Devon Flag.

He received the following response:

'A national flag of any country may be flown on a single vertical flagpole, so long as it does not have anything added to the design or any advertising material to the flagpole.

Any other flag can be flown on one flagpole, fixed upright on the roof of a building without the prior consent of the local planning authority. If the flag is flown in any other way you would need to contact your local planning authority, whom I am sure would deal sympathetically with your request."

It seems that the Devon Flag CAN be flown without planning permission.

In circumstances other than the above it seems to be at the discretion of the local council whether or not they impose the regulations to the letter. I suggest you are nice to your neighbours!!!

The Devon Flag will shortly be flown by the Devon Air Ambulance.

A local flag maker has come to terms with the DAA and the helicopter should be sporting the flag within a month.

I now have photographic evidence that the Devon Flag is emblazoned onto the new Devon Air Ambulance.

and here it is....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/news_features/2004/air_ambulance_devon_flag.shtml

Your Devon flag is a blatent copy of our wonderful Cornish flag, and don't you deny it!

The government has now backed down on an earlier ruling that anyone wanting to fly the Devon Flag (or for that matter Rex, the Cornish Flag) because it is not a recognised national flag and as such is considered 'advertising'.

The backlash has been significant, and the minister has now given local councils "the nod" to turn a blind eye to the flying of the Devon and Cornish Flags.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/news_features/2004/flag_blind_eye.shtml

It is only a start, as formal recognition would be better, but it is a step in the right direction.

Verghyans!/Victory!

The Devon County Council recently included a question in its recent questionnaire asking whether there should be official recognition of the Devon Flag (Question 20).

The response was

Strongly in favour 22.5%
In favour 29.9%
Total in favour 52.4%

Strongly against 8.8%
Against 14.8%
Total against 23.6%

No opinion 24.0%

http://www.devon.gov.uk/cs13_results_for_website-2.pdf

It seems there is strong support for official recognition for the flag!

Here is another batcjh of pictures of teh Devon Flag flying around the world. Some of such foreign places as Sussex.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/image_galleries/flag_aug05_gallery.shtml?1

Devon County Council is to defy government guidelines by flying the Devon Flag at County Hall in Exeter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/articles/2006/08/02/devon_flag_county_hall_feature.shtml

Anyone who has seen the Devon stage(s) of cycling's Tour of Britain in recent years would have seen an abundance of Devon Flags.

There are literally thousands.

This year, the stage from North Devon across Dartmoor to Dartmouth, was no exception.

The scenery was fantastic, the flags gave a wonderful carnival atmosphere, it was good weather and all in all it promoted Devon in all its glory

I understand that Devon County Council provides some small "hand waving" flags - presumably to school children.

If so, the DCC has continued to do this despite a change in administration over the years (from LibDems to Tories)

Keep it up