The Eagle has Landed

We're having a break from the Olympic flag today to mark the fact that Curiosity has safely landed on Mars. AW

Day 1 of the 30th Olympiad - good luck, Team GB! We rang our ship's bell like crazy at 8.12am to participate in Martin Creed's Work No 1197 Work No 1197 - All the Bells in a Country Rung as Quickly and as Loudly as Possible for Three Minutes. It was fun. Sorry, neighbours. AW

He Wears a Yellow Jersey

We're cheering on Bradley Wiggins, who's really showing his mettle ahead of the pack in the Tour de France General Classification. Show 'em how it's done, Brad! And a Brit at No. 2 as well - Chris Froome. Historic. AW

Independence Day

We commemorate the USA’s Independence Day by flying the “Star-spangled Banner” on 4th July. Its stripes represent the original thirteen states who, perhaps unwisely, eschewed the benefits of being subjects of the British Crown in 1776. As you peer through the cool, dank, overcast, misty drizzle of Sherenden Park in Wimbledon fortnight, spare a thought for the million Americans still without power (and air conditioning) in 41 degrees Celsius days after the violent, heatwave-induced storms of last weekend. SW

Armed Forces Day

Today, Armed Forces Day, we fly the White Ensign and the RAF Ensign (we don't have enough pole for the Army as well) to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Britain's Servicemen and women. (SW)

Happy 100th Birthday, Alan Turing

Today is the centenary of the birth of the father of computer science and artificial intelligence. During World War II, he worked at Bletchley Park, devising techniques for breaking German naval messages coded by Enigma machines. AW

An Emperor Dethroned

Today in 1815 the dreams of European domination by the French tyrant Napoleon were truly 'blown apart' by British, Prussian and Dutch armies at Waterloo. He escaped death on the battlefield but was condemned to exile for the rest of his years. We fly an early Red Ensign (similar to British infantry regiment colours) over the Tricolour to commemorate this historic day. SW

HM Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee

"Every inch a Queen, every foot a ruler", as Shakespeare didn't quite put it, sadly doesn't travel well into the metric age. Anyway, congratulations to our monarch, only the second to make it to a Diamond Jubilee. The Royal Standard is flying over all the extended weekend to mark the celebrations. On Sunday it was joined by the three lions of England and on Monday by a red ensign RNLI pennant. AW

The Glorious First of June

We commemorate the victory in 1794 of Lord Howe’s fleet over the French fleet, 400 miles west of Ushant,  and known subsequently as the Glorious First of June. Prize money for captured vessels distributed between Royal Navy crews was equivalent to £18 million in today’s money! (SW)

When was the last time we beat the Germans on penalties? Well done, Chelsea! (AW)

Cry God for Harry! England and St George!

April 23rd has been St George's Day since 1222. St G is also patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Moscow, Istanbul, Genoa and Venice; soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers, and he helps those suffering from leprosy, plague and syphilis. And Scouts. So he spreads himself a bit thinly. The whole business with the dragon came about because the story, which was made up by a medieval French bishop, chimed in with a similar Anglo-Saxon legend, and then Caxton printed it in a book called The Golden Legend, making it very popular. AW

The Titanic centenary

This is the flag of the merchant navy, to commemorate all those who died or survived the sinking 100 years ago today. Especially to the memory of my relatives, Arthur West, who died, and his wife Ada, who was pregnant with their third child, and their two little girls, who survived. Arthur climbed into the lifeboat to give his wife milk for the baby and then climbed out again. AW

Falklands anniversary

The process that would lead to the liberation of the Argentinean people from the yoke of a murderous regime started 30 years ago, when they were unwise enough to invade the Falkland Islands. We are flying the flag of the Royal Navy, to salute the 67 Royal Marines who mounted an heroic defence against an initial Argentinean force of 1000, plus armoured vehicles. SW

Olympic Flag

Olympic flag

Celebrating "Pedalling" Victoria Pendelton and Jess Varnish's excellent "Finish" at the Velodrome.

Sardinia's Lost Warriors

Sardinia

Going on display soon in Cagliari is an exhibition of life-size soldiers carved from solid rock 2,700 years ago. Only 27 have been reconstructed of the original 33, so the squad is far smaller than the famous Terracotta army but, like them, they guarded the graves of the Great and Good. It is believed the invading Carthaginians smashed them into 5,000-odd fragments, and it has taken eight years to rebuild the three-dimensional jigsaws into the original archers, shield-holders and swordsmen that will be put on display in the summer.

Sardinia is a fascinating holiday destination, and its flag portrays either the severed heads of Moorish invaders, with St George's cross, or it celebrates the sacrifice of St Maurice, a Roman soldier saint who was martyred with his Theban legion for refusing to take part in pagan rites.

Charles Dickens' 200th birthday

Kent County

Although born in Portsmouth, not Kent, Dickens spent much of his childhood in Chatham, and lived in his adult years in Broadstairs and Higham, where he wrote many of his most famous novels. He was rightly lauded for highlighting the terrible conditions in London slums and for his opposition to slavery. I just wish he'd hadn't made the heroines in his novels such vapid, swooning sots. Happy birthday anyway, Charles. AW

"Let us beat swords into plowshares"

United Nations

The UK team at the Model United Nations in Boston are participating in their final sessions this weekend (see previous blog), so we're flying the UN flag to show our support.
The quote (from the Bible of course) is the title of an artwork - a gun with a knotted barrel - on display at the UN building in New York, which the boys visited earlier in the week.

Breakfast in America

USA

It has to be the Stars & Stripes this week, as Kieran is spending the week in New York and Boston with his school's team, attending the Model United Nations organised by Harvard University. They'll be seeing all the sights, and his parents are green with envy. Good luck to all the participants from The Skinners' School and Maidstone Grammar, the only team from the UK.

The Osbourne Bull

Spain: Osbourne bull

The Osbourne bull here superimposed on the Spanish flag is regarded as the unofficial national symbol of Spain. It's named after the Osbourne sherry company, who used large silhouettes to advertise their wares.

Why are we flying it today? Um - how about it's St Fructuosus's day? He was burned at the stake in 259 by the Romans in Tarragon.