The Union Jack

[Wacky Racer]

[Tyre Tread]

OK. And the point is?

[Zio Di Roma]

Wacky Racer said:

Thank you. I was just about to hoist mine up the pole outside my ex-council rented semi and was perplexed as to the correct way. The cross of St George is so much simpler.

[V8LM]

Wacky Racer said:

Depends on what side of the flag you are viewing it from.

[Tyre Tread]

V8LM said:

Wacky Racer said:

Depends on what side of the flag you are viewing it from.

No it doesn't. The wide white stipe nearest the flagpole is always at the top.

[InitialDave]

Tyre Tread said:

No it doesn't. The wide white stipe nearest the flagpole is always at the top.

There's no flagpole in the picture, it's just that the convention is when drawn it's assumed to be on the left.

This is why it can be better to use "hoist side" and "fly side" not "left" or "right" if you need to be specific.

[RATATTAK]

Flag pole is deemed to be on the left side of the flag when not shown, so Wacky is correct when you take this into account.

[bigpriest]

Symmetricalise it and stop the madness.

[Countdown]

bigpriest said:

Symmetricalise it and stop the madness.

But then how would we demonstrate how clever we were ?

[Scabutz]

Also isn't it only the union jack when flying on the jack mast of a ship? Union flag at all other times

[jeremyc]

Ahem. Union Jack only when flown on a ship, otherwise Union Flag, please.

Although to be fair Wacky didn't specify where it was being flown the wrong way up.

[Austin Prefect]

bigpriest said:

Symmetricalise it and stop the madness.

But then no one would notice if you flew it upside down as a distress signal.

[LimaDelta]

^^^ No and no to the standard pub bore response. Both terms have been used for hundreds of years and either is acceptable.

[Countdown]

Austin Prefect said:

bigpriest said:

Symmetricalise it and stop the madness.

But then no one would notice if you flew it upside down as a distress signal.

Good point - if you wanted to let people know you were in danger the absolute best way would be to fly a nearly-symmetrical flag upside down. This is exactly the kind of thing that made Britain Great - no other Country would ever think of something like this


It reminds me of the super secret distress signal in Team America : World Police

Edited by Countdown on Wednesday 16th April 10:17

[Frimley111R]

Scabutz said:

Also isn't it only the union jack when flying on the jack mast of a ship? Union flag at all other times

Yes, the jack is just to flagpost, the flag is the union flag but over time people came to refer to it as the union jack when its just the flag.

[StevieBee]

As an aside, and I say this purely from a graphic/artistic point of view, I do think the Union Jack is the nicest looking flag there is.

Albania has the coolest (IMO).

[Cotty]

StevieBee said:

As an aside, and I say this purely from a graphic/artistic point of view, I do think the Union Jack is the nicest looking flag there is.

I think its a bit busy but that purely because its three flags smushed together

[TGCOTF-dewey]

I deliberately fly mine upside down as it means I get to talk to interesting people when I'm sat enjoying the sun from my front garden sofa. I say garden, but obviously it's now off road parking.

[80quattro]

Cotty said:

StevieBee said:

As an aside, and I say this purely from a graphic/artistic point of view, I do think the Union Jack is the nicest looking flag there is.

I think its a bit busy but that purely because its three flags smushed together

It would look a spectacular mess if a Welsh dragon had been added. Apparently its because the Welsh were under English rule when the flag was designed so they fall under the George Cross bit.

[Wacky Racer]

jeremyc said:

Ahem. Union Jack only when flown on a ship, otherwise Union Flag, please.

Although to be fair Wacky didn't specify where it was being flown the wrong way up.