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Site Admin Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 28

Good news! My MP David Heath has got in touch with the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, Lady Gass, about the official status of the Somerset flag.

Lady Gass sent Mr Heath a letter, a copy of which was passed on to me.

"Dear David,
Thank you for you letter about a Somerset flag. I am sorry to have taken some time to answer.

There is no Lord-Lieutenant's flag specifically for Somerset. A Union Jack was passed to me, with a small badge in the centre, but this is the same for all Lord_Lieutenants anywhere in the country.

I have made enquiries about the Somerset dragon. The Local History Librarian, David Bromwich, who runs the Somerset Studies Library (now in the main Taunton Public Library), tells me that the use of the dragon as a symbol for Somerset goes back many centuries, certainly before the arrival of the Normans. This is a dragon standing upright, as distinct from the Welsh one which is on all fours.

The County Council's official registration had the dragon carrying a mace, so anyone from Somerset must be free to use the dragon alone (my italics - Ed). Indeed, as I suspect you know, a fair number of organisations already do this in one form or another. Sometimes this is for the whole of the historic county such as Somerset County Cricket Club, or part of it, as used by North Somerset Council (the Unitary Authority) on its writing paper etc.

I hope this is some help to your constituent. The dragon always seems to me to be rather a fine symbol.

With best wishes, and many
apologies for the delay,
Yours ever
Elizabeth"

I met Mr Heath last Sunday and thanked him for his efforts.

It seems that the rampant dragon is available for use as a symbol, but the version carrying the mace is the Council's.

Therefore, let us have a design competition. Perhaps we could have the rampant dragon on BB's flag?

Site Admin Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 28

I spoke to the editor of the Taunton Times and Yeovil Express this morning and she said that they'd look into hosting a design competition.
They'll get back to me tomorrow morning; fingers crossed!

The Taunton Times's Web address is http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/d...nodeId=150862&command=newPage