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'Flying our flags is a sign of pride, not provocation' - your letters, plus England prepare for Wales in a 1958 snapshot

From flying the Union flag to concerns over tolerance and the courts, local readers have their say on issues affecting the nation today.

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By Tania Taylor
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Supporting image for story: 'Flying our flags is a sign of pride, not provocation' - your letters, plus England prepare for Wales in a 1958 snapshot
PICTURE FROM THE PAST: England players pose on the steps at Lilleshall Hall in November 1958. They were preparing for a match against Wales at Villa Park. Manager Walter Winterbottom is with skipper Billy Wright and Peter Broadbent. The score was 2-2 and Broadbent scored twice for England.

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We should be proud of flags

I write in response to Vicky Barnes’ letter. My patriotic view is totally the opposite to that expressed regarding the flying of our National flags around Shrewsbury and do not regard this as childish, threatening or distracting in any shape or form. Indeed, many people I have spoken to have expressed pride and hope in seeing our flags flying along various roads in the town. Flags can be an emotive issue and over the past few years this country has seen a plethora of other nations flags being flown here with little negative response.

Unlike countries such as France, America and Canada where out of the cities most homes and businesses fly their National flag with evident pride, in Britain until recently very few homes and businesses have chosen to do this except on special occasions. The current vogue for flying Union and St. George’s flags is a direct response to “Cause and Effect”. 

The “Cause” being that successive governments have totally failed, betrayed and lied to the British public about controlling the numbers of both legal and illegal immigration. The response or “Effect” to this government-made unmanaged immigration crisis which the British public have tolerated for some considerable time is rather benign in flying our National flags to make a point. If we were emulating a “banana republic” as was mentioned, lack of tolerances would have already sparked unrest. Fortunately for all of us we have to date only witnessed a few demonstrations and a proliferation of National flag flying, but our government should understand they are under the watchful eye of a weary electorate.

Neil Phillips, Midlands