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Along with everyone else, it seems, I am EXTREMELY impressed with Vivienne’s design for a new, ‘real’ Union Flag. Like one or two others, I tried (and failed) to incorporate the Cross of St David into the national flag several times before I set the exercise as a truckshunter challenge. I reckon Vivienne’s design is extraordinarily striking and colourful. I love it and have taken the liberty of attempting to draw it with a cheap and cheerful Mac drawing program I have. It’s supposed to be easy to use but, as you can see, I’m not as computer-literate as I sometimes like to think. My version of Vivienne’s design definitely needs refining.

I can sense another of Robinson’s infamous campaigns coming on - a campaign for the adoption of a new national flag for the new millennium. For far too long, Wales has been treated as second-class. Until recently, it was referred to merely as a part of England. A once proud and independent people reduced to being patronised as a ‘Principality’ and fighting to save an ancient and noble heritage and language. I know quite a few foreigners who are simply unaware of Wales as an entity, and who are uncertain of its status and rank within the UK.

Well, we can start to redress an ancient wrong right here and now. We can campaign to have Vivienne’s design adopted as a ‘true‘ federal flag of the UK. A revolutionary, devolutionary national symbol. It’s awesome.

Of course, it could well end up in the Book of St Rita as yet another truckshunting lost cause, along with many others that have been mentioned on this blog recently. You know the ones I’m talking about...

In the meantime, though...watch this space.

Now then...who’s in charge of the National Flag? The Home Secretary? Who on Earth is that???

WHAT’S IN A NAME
A truckshunter called Michael has asked me about the derivation of York. Here goes...

It is best to begin with the ancient Celtic name for their settlement here - Eburacon - which was derived from the name of the Celtic landholder here. He is thought to have been called something like Eburos, a name related to Old Welsh and Old Irish words for ‘yew’. Thus, in its earliest forms, York was ‘Eburos’ place’. (The Modern Welsh word for the city is still Efrog, and the Archbishop signs himself ‘Ebor’ - which is also the name of a prestigious race at the city’s racecourse).

But how do you get from there to York?

When the Romans arrived and established a settlement here, they adapted Eboracon slightly to Eboracum. To later Saxon settlers this name was meaningless, so they adapted it still further, applying their own words to what they heard and thus transforming Eborac(um) to Eofor-wic, ‘wild-boar farm’.

Later still, Viking settlers, who established a major town here, adapted Eofor-wic into Iorvik and then, by elision, into Iork. This name was then re-adopted by the Saxons as York.

Does that make sense?

CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or email me: truckshunters@googlemail.com

5 comments:

Vivienne said...

Hi Ian,

Wow! I feel so impressed and honoured that you've endorsed and copied my flag.

My effort was drafted by hand. I think anyone who can use computer programme to reproduce a flag is extremely talented. Well done! Also, congratulations for solving Hildie's anagram.

Inga said...

I HEARD THAT, HILDIE :-))
KEEP LISTENING !

Hildie said...

INGA ... incredible, wasn't it?
I was saying hello to you, not really believing you'd be listening. I was so amazed when I got the message back from you!
Take care x

Unknown said...

Hello Ian
Enjoying your blog. Birkheads is brilliant. Some of my pictures of snowdrops and colchicums have been based on the flowers from Birkheads. It is a lovely place to go for a walk round during the year to see the garden and also get a cuppa. Hope you are keeping well. I have started work on a new exhibition working with another artist - we plan to exhibit next Spring.

All the best

Alison

Maureen said...

Hildie, you asked about Snods Edge a while ago and funnily enough, someone told me today that it was a plain between Stanley and Consett where the snow doesn't lie. Snods Edge being originally called Snows Edge. This prompted me to check it on Wikipaedia and this is what they came up with:
Snods Edge and Shotley Field both lie in southern Northumberland just beyond the County Durham towns of Shotley Bridge and Consett. Shotley Field was originally like Shotley Bridge called Scotley and is thought to mean the ley or clearing of a Scotsman. If this is the case then there would seem to have been a number of Celtic settlers in the area, as nearby Wallish Walls means Wall of the Welshmen. Snods Edge may be derived from snawede an Anglo-Saxon word for snow, and snods was once a common dialect word in Northumberland. The name of this place would seem to mean the snows edge or snowy place. Staying on the theme of snow, Snows Green near Shotley Bridge refers to Cuthbert Snawe, a man of the cloth who lived in the area in the eighteenth century. His house is said to have had a large garden or green. Fortunately there is no evidence of green snow ever falling in the area.
So there you are. I'm sure that Ian would explain it more clearly, but I hope you have a good time anyway!