Saturday 31 May 2008

The contest is over.....?

Today in the Dorset Echo were two new designs for a flag of Dorset. In my personal opinion, neither were suitable - one being far too complex and all the detail would be missed at distance - the other - meh.

Most importantly though, was this statement:

"Thank you to all our readers who have sent us their submissions in our hunt to find a flag for Dorset.
Our search is now over and we will be sending the flags we have received to the county council, so it can consider whether to adopt any of them as the official Dorset flag."


This is completely out of the blue. I know that last Friday(23rd May), Sally Northeast indicated she was going to take the advice of the newspaper editors and I know that this week she has been on holiday. I thought they were going to release a second press release with the criteria for a flag submission etc. It seems not.

Whilst this may seem good news, it is the second sentence that bothers me - the second bit:

"...so it can consider whether to adopt any of them as the official Dorset flag."

The council may consider none of them appropriate. If this were to happen, I should expect a public vote - I know our flag is approved of by the Flag Institute, unlike many of the other designs. So it should be appropriate. There's still nothing stopping us making is the unofficial flag of Dorset.

On the other hand, who selects the flags? Using what criteria? What if they select something wholly inappropriate? I think many people think they'll be getting a vote. We just don't know as we were never told.

There will also be a few people who will legitimately point out that DCC may not have the authority to do this.

The article is here:

http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/search/display.var.2309961.0.latest_ideas_for_county_flag.php

The plot thickens....

Saturday 24 May 2008

A few other press articles...


Article from the Bournemouth Echo - Chris presents the Oddfellow Arms with their own flags and an article in the Blackmore Vale.

Friday 23 May 2008

Flags are here/Much activity

I didn't manage to report it, as I was too excited last Friday - the big flags are actually here! They've been selling well - pictures are starting to roll in from them all over the county. You can buy them from the main website.

Speaking of which - the website will be updated to a more professional feel very soon.

There's been quite a lot of publicity again:

Dorset Echo : Let's run them up the Flagpole including mandatory cute kid
Dorset Echo : M Macleod says 'No Contest'
Dorset Echo : Arguments with John Neimer Part 1
Dorset Echo : Arguments with John Neimer Part 2
Dorset Echo : Arguments with John Neimer Part 3
Dorset Echo : Arguments with John Neimer Part 4

Western Gazette : Georgian Fair coverage

Blackmore Vale : Article

There has been other articles, like one showing Chris presenting the Oddfellow Arms with their flags in the Bournemouth Echo - I have copies of these so will be scanning and upping very soon!

Thursday 15 May 2008

LGO Festivals new poster / more sponsors!



Check out the new Endorse-It, In-Dorset festival poster! Brilliant! Clickie for the big version!

The Western Gazette published an article about the flag showing the picture with Chris, Jacquie et al flying the flag at Blandford.

We have some new sponsors....go check out the Roll of Honour page.....

We're still waiting to hear just about anything back from the County Council now...Chris had an email from Sally Northeast saying that she'd met with David Jenkins - the Chief Executive, but was still trying to nail down Mr Peake, who seems to have become a bit elusive. She promises more info tomorrow as she's meeting with him. She was supposed to be also finding out whether we formally need to enter St Wite's cross into this contest......Come on Sally! We're routing for you!

Those damn big flags are still not here! I was expecting them today as well. The company assures me they were sent out Monday by courier, so hopefully tomorrow.

Saturday 10 May 2008

Wimborne and Ferndown Directory



Check this out - The Wimborne and Ferndown directory! Clickie for bigger images.
Dorset Echo seemed to have picked up the Blandford Georgian fair press release that Chris did a few days ago. I had someone on the phone to me this morning. It's worth pointing out that Dorset Echo seem to think that St Wite's Cross is the leading contender. They commented on this a few days ago.
Flags - big ones - should be with me this week. At last! I've already placed a new order for small ones...so we might see them in July..... ;-)
DCC seem to be beginning to drag their collective heels lately. Firstly, Chris sent the minutes to them of our meeting. Sally Northeast doesn't believe them to be impartial, but hasn't explained why. I sent an email to Sally asking if we needed to 'formally' enter the contest and when would they release to the public the guidelines and closing dates of this contest- her response back was that she would need to talk to Peake et al about it. A few people have very vocally voiced their displeasure that the council are involved now. How much is it going to cost us? they say.
I've heard rumblings that Mr Peake is keen to see a flag with an ammonite on it. He's said this from the start. Mr Peake - if you're reading this - please, please read the Flag Institute guides. Avoid placing complicated charges on flags!!! It is not necessary and is not becoming of a flag. It will be expensive to reproduce and seriously - will a child be able to draw it? These are tourist-type things that you can add to a flag after it is established for postcards etc. Not for the base flag of the county.
Publicity wise, we seem to be doing very well - I think people in the Dorset Echo circulation are sick of seeing my mug. We have had a few converts as well - the biggest endorsement though is Brian Galpin - Hon. Secretary to the Admiral of the County and Town of Poole! See the guestbook.


Tuesday 6 May 2008

More ideas in at the Dorset Echo

http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/local/display.var.2248551.0.flying_the_flag.php

I'm going to have to be frank. Do any of these people take the idea of a flag seriously?

Six of the most complicated flags I have ever seen. How many colours? These are examples of how not to produce a flag. I'm sorry but they're a disaster. They'd cost a fortune to reproduce.

- Simplicity? Can children seriously reproduce these flags?
- Charges(putting symbols on flags)! Don't use them! NO WORDING.
- Colours - keep it to three!

This is what the Flag Institute, the foremost authority on flag creation has laid down in their own guidelines to creating a flag!!

I appreciate this person has gone to alot of effort with ten designs in all, but lets take our heraldry seriously for a moment. I would never, ever fly anything like that. One looks like a tie-dye t-shirt! Trying to put too much in....as I said, too complex.

Monday 5 May 2008

Blandford Georgian Fair

Cram everyone into Blandford today for the Georgian Fair!

Chris and Jacquie were up for the Town Crier competition, while St Wite's flag flapped slowly in the breeze behind them. We sold a few smaller flags - I didn't intend to do that as now we have no smaller ones left! Getting an order in ASAP....sorry folks. Big ones due in a week!

We also spoke to Mike Oliver - the chairman of North Dorset County Council. He's been so far, the only chairman good enough to write back to us.

Mike indicated that he wasn't sure this 'competition' was the right way to go, but certainly drawing people's attention to what we're doing and garnering comments was better.
It is a cause of concern, when libraries in Dorset are being shut down and now public money is being spent on a flag competition!

A shop that's well up for St Wite's Flag!














A resident of East Dorset recently challenged me that Dorset has no golden grainfields. It does, I've seen them my whole life. Here in May though, let's have a look in the fields shall we.....



This time of year - you can see and smell nothing but the rapeseed fields......

Another silly argument that yellow is the colour of cowardice keeps popping up. Well, today while I was at the Royal British Legion of Blandford, I noted many, many medals there - many with yellow in the ribbons. Try telling the British Legion that it means cowardice.....and besides, it's gold!!!!