Fighting the Flag

“Doubtless there were men alive
With only half a liver,
Some had no heart,
And many had no brain.
But a man without a flag?
Impossible.”

– Christopher Logue, Professor Tuholsky’s Facts; 1962

As the commentators, pundits and entertainers who fill our airwaves and newspaper columns praised the enduring British spirit in keeping going despite the rain; as Palace insiders commended the continuity of tradition in ‘these changing times’; as banks, businesses, promoters, poets and musicians attempted to sell their commemorative offerings; one thing struck me as a sign of real change in British public life.

I am unmoved by the passing of 60 years of the reign of Elizabeth Windsor. Put it this way, I am in favour of equitable social relations and fair division of land: parades for monarchs are not really my thing. However, what I could not avoid was the fluttering flags from car roofs; the faded, ‘40s retro-look bunting; the billboards advertising jubilee chocolates, butter or mobile phones all bedecked with what we inaccurately call the Union Jack.