Jack or Flag?

It was on Radio 4 this morning - the chap from the flag authority (can't remember the proper name) said Union Jack and Union Flag were interchangeable, either on land or on a ship.

Bags

I say Jack as well. Union Flag sounds very business like and would have to be used at appropriate times. Must keep the PC Brigade happy you know.

As most people probably have little or no idea what a jack staff is, the two were bound to become interchangeable. There's nothing PC about it.

My mother was always very insistent that it should be the Union Jack if flown on a ship and the Union Flag on land. As most of her relatives were in the Merchant Navy I took it that she had insider knowledge

Not a subject that comes up much in conversation so I don't often say Union Jack or Flag.

If we fly it with pride, then really what we call it is not that important, I think.

I call it the Union Flag (or sometimes the Butcher's Apron). My Flag is, of course, the Saltire, which I do fly with pride. Funnily enough I bought a new big one this afternoon as my old one went astray after the March and Rally in Edinburgh.

Never actually thought about it before but now wondering what will happen to the 'Union' flag when Scotland becomes Independent and the blue Saltire bit will have to come out? Will a new flag be designed, incorporating the Welsh flag at last or will England start to fly St George's Cross instead?

Ahem - that's IF Scotland fractures the UK, isn't it?

Don't forget the Union Flag also has the saltire of St Patrick in its design.

It would be imperative to remove the saltire from the Union Flag if the union doesn't exist! Simple. Scotland would perhaps produce its own design - or would it stick to the old saints of the old church? (Think I know the answer.)

That was dealt with. The FLAF predates the act of Union?

FLAF? perhaps FLAG!

Yes Galen. The UNION bit refers to the Union of the Crowns not the Union of the Parliaments. A version of an Irish Flag (all of Ireland at that time) was later incorporated into the design but not the Welsh one perhaps because the dragon would have had to be prominent at the front.

Also it's a principality not a kingdom

I rather like the idea of a cute Welsh dragon in the middle of our flag. I've always wondered why it wasn't there.

Given what was done to the design of the Union Jack flag during the Olympics, perhaps if Scotland desert the Union we can change the dark blue into light blue (in memory of Scotland or the hope they will return) or another colour to avoid high costs of a completely new design & lot of arguments.

IF , on the rare ocassion , I refer to it , I would use Union Jack !

I would prefer to fly the Cross of St George but I do also put up the Devonshire flag just to wind up my OH. He came from Cornwall and I was from Devon. We have discussed having two flag poles in the garden

Now that I have started thinking about a re-design of the Union Flag, I realise that there are many more complications. Bermuda, Australia, Hawaii, New Zealand, British Columbia, Cayman Islands, Tuvalu, Ontario all include a Union Flag in their own flag so they would need to be changed too. What about the hundreds (thousands?) of organisations which use it as part of their logo? Then there are the manufacturers of underwear and T. Shirts. They would have a bonanza with everyone desperate to flaunt the new colours.

In the event of a Yes vote in next year's referendum we should all buy shares in Flag Making companies - quickly, before everyone else catches on . Time for bed methinks. I'm beginning to sense echoes of the late unlamented Frank in my comments

Wales is not a principality but a country, it was called a principality because it was lumbered with a prince of Wales eldest son of the reigning monarch , this prevented it from being a country. As he has not a jot to do with Wales, no powers etc it was agreed by the ISO in 2012 that Wales is a country.

The union flag/jack means not a thing to me, it represents England, Scotland and N Ireland , until the dragon is on the union jack then it means no more than the flag of any country . I have no pride in it, I respect it as I respect the flag of France etc

granny23,

Of course Wales is a country. And there should be a dragon on the Union flag.