Hilarie Stelfox: Flying the Union flag

May 2 2009 By Hilarie Stelfox

MY BROTHER flies a patriotic Union Jack outside his house, which shares a common entrance with the equine hospital where he works.

As the flag is now looking a little worse for wear he decided to seek a replacement.

Being a veteran internet shopper he googled ‘Union Jack’ and discovered a shop that sold everything from Union Jack socks to Union Jack thongs, but no flags.

"You were, however, able to buy a flag pole. I suspect that the website had been established by one of Alan Sugar’s apprentices,’’ he said.

And then he found The Union Jack shop in Belfast, which is 35th on the list of ‘must see’ places in Northern Ireland, according to the Ulster Tourism Authority. It promised a comprehensive collection of loyalist goods.

My brother placed an order for a union flag (in silk), rejected the option of a white fringe for £5 extra and felt quite pleased with himself. So pleased that he topped up his order with a blue polo shirt bearing a small Ulster flag as a gift for one of his business partners, who is a proud Ulsterman.

"I also gleaned some interesting Union Jack facts. It is not, apparently, the official flag of the United Kingdom, it is a Royal standard and during its long history there have been several attempts by officialdom to prevent its use by us ordinary folk,’’ he told me.