Black Country Flag – Name for the Flag – A Sense of Place
Posted by donatoNov 6
We’ve already looked at names for flags derived from local and patron saints, this week I’ll move onto looking at names derived from the physical characteristics of the place.
This seems like a rather good idea and it at first seems like there aren’t many places that have flag names inspired in this way. However it should surely be one of the most obvious ideas, to name a flag after a local feature, and as such it may be surprising that there aren’t more flags named in this way.
One such flag that is named in this way is the flag for Gloucestershire; ‘The Severn Cross’. This, of course, references the mighty river Severn that runs part of it’s course through that county as well as being a dominant feature of the Midlands, Wales and Great Britain.
So with respect to the Black Country what options does that give us for the name of the flag? Well there aren’t any shortage of good hills in the area that could give us a name – Mucklow, Wychbury, Great Barr, or maybe the best of all Castle Hill, upon which the fortified crown of our capital sits.
I think though that the problem I have with these hills is that they all are more appropriate for the particular town they are associated with rather than for the Black Country as an entirety. Rivers may be a potential solution as they link towns, but there isn’t a single river that connects all of the Black Country, so that idea seems rather null and void.
However, we should remember that the Black Country gets it’s name from a geographical feature – the South Staffordshire Coal Field. However there are a few problems with using this as a flag name – not least because it doesn’t really flow from off the tongue!
The other problem is the use of the phrase South Staffordshire. Whilst there isn’t anything wrong with Staffordshire it does ignore the part of the Black Country that was traditionally in Worcestershire. Plus, and maybe most importantly, we’re trying to create a distinct and individual identity for the Black Country, so referencing another territory (even one that historically overlapped) isn’t really acceptable.
Can we salvage anything from this however? Well maybe we should still reference the coal seam somehow without using it’s full title – The Coal Cross! Hopefully we now have our first option to consider, over the next few weeks we’ll seek to find more options.
Black Country Flag
Note: This and all Black Country Flag posts are written by Phillip Tibbetts
Hello. I like both versions of the flag but without the coat of arms at the centre of one of them. But – where can we buy them please? And does Black Country include Lichfield and North Staffordshire too?
Dear Tonny,
I’m glad you prefer the flag without the arms, I do like the arms but am now pleased I took them out of the flag – making it more elegant
As for buying them I’m quite happy that I’ve been asked that quite a lot recently, though my designs are only proposals and it would be better to get an official flag first for people to buy – however I am working towards a vote, so all support is appreciated!
Concerning what’s in the Black Country I consider myself to be quite inclusive but, as you may have seen on the other post you commented on, the most northerly town of the area is often seen to be Brownhills. I’ve never come across a description of the area including anything beyond that; thus none of the rest of Staffordshire beyond that is usually considered to be the Black Country. Lichfield is like Kidderminster, an important town just outside, but maybe one day I’ll get around to doing flags for them as well
Cheers
Philip