Isn’t it a good design? The fox streaks across the bottom below heraldic references to two of Leicestershire’s medieval noble families. The cinquefoil (the flower) is from the de Beaumont family, the white and red colours and the zigzag line were both taken from Simon de Montfort’s shield.

But it was the flag’s fox that first attracted enthusiast John Fairbrother to this flag when he saw it online two years ago. Coming from a Leicestershire farming background he loves foxes so had to have it! He loves flags too and first started collecting them about 20 years ago. Now he has a wide variety and he flies them from his Melton Road garden-flagpole on appropriate days. For example, during the Isle of Man’s TT week the Legs of Man wave in the breeze; for St David’s Day it is, of course, a Welsh Dragon (y Ddraig Goch); for Armistice Weekend there’s a poppy Remembrance Day flag; for St George’s Day the cross of St. George complete with knight and dragon; and whenever an England Football team plays, either male or female, a Three Lions flag flies high. However, one flag John doesn’t own is a Leicester City flag but when Leicester won the premiership a neighbour enthusiastically gave him one to hoist. He hoisted a special one with his wife’s name, Ceri, on it when it was her 70th birthday and his beloved Leicestershire County flag with its running fox is only raised when his daughter Gillie is home. Like the King at Buckingham Palace, the flag tells the world Gillie is in residence!

Neighbours call him “the flag man” and John is always happy to explain where the flag of the day comes from, or what it means, to anyone who asks - children are particularly curious.

Gillie’s flag, The Leicestershire County flag, is a new addition to the world of flags. It was flown for the first time in July 2021. Surprisingly, until then Leicestershire hadn’t had a county flag although a pressure group had been pressing for one for years. There was considerable controversy surrounding the choice of design, some readers may remember the kerfuffle, but finally this design was agreed upon and has flown along with the other 38 county flags in Parliament Square, London, during Historic County Flags Day ever since.

Gaynor Barton