Father who flew Jolly Roger for daughter's birthday prosecuted by council

mkpdavies · 09-05-2008, 07:11 PM

Father who flew Jolly Roger for daughter's birthday prosecuted by council | the Daily Mail

Quote:

One particular pirate prop was a must for David Waterman as he organised a themed party for his daughter's birthday.

With cutlass-wielding youngsters running around in eye patches, he thought, a Jolly Roger flag would add the perfect finishing touch - and he duly hung the Skull and Crossbones from the side of the family home.
Unfortunately the local council didn't see the jolly side and Mr Waterman has been threatened with prosecution unless he removes the 5ft by 3ft banner.

How much more?

Ea of Dune · 09-05-2008, 07:12 PM

I actually though this was going to be some kind of joke

.

F****g council knobheads.

Ea of dune

steve fowler · 09-05-2008, 08:50 PM

I would have told them to either do it or get ****ed!.

John in Scotland · 10-05-2008, 06:11 AM

This, to me, is the interesting bit.

"He was told that the flying of flags was controlled by the Town and Country (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992.

These stipulate that only 'a national flag of any country, the flag of the European Union, the Commonwealth, the United Nations, English County flags and saints' flags associated with a particular county' can be flown. "

Well, there's a handy piece of legislation that we can thank John Major for. What on earth was the point?

And even worse, the flag of the European Union, which is highly offensive to millions of decent, ordinary people, can quite legally be flown.

The Bear · 10-05-2008, 06:41 AM

Well sorry, guys, but I can see the sense in this. If I lived in a group of houses and someone chose to fly a darned big flag such as that, be it the Jolly Roger or the Union flag and all things in-between in the way that he did, I would not be greatly impressed.

Let’s look at the facts.

For one thing we don’t know when his daughters birthday was, all we do know is that the council received a complaint on April 16th.

He was SENT a letter on April 21st, that’s 5 days later telling him he had 7 days to take the horrible big thing down, and big it certainly was.

5 feet by 3 feet, that’s not far short of the size of a single bed sheet. Hanging out in front of a house in a residential area.

We also know that he left the thing in place for days after the party, we have to wonder why.

Why he left such an inappropriate thing hanging outside a house in what otherwise looks like a quite respectable area.

We also read that his kids behaviour has been cause for complaint in the past, so maybe there’s more to this than just a guy being pilloried for being a bit eccentric and there’s more than a little “let’s wind them up” dimension involved on his part.

So rather than it being a guy being persecuted by some “jobsworth” it actually looks far more like a guy with a family that are causing concern by their behaviour to at least some of his neighbours bringing down the “tone” of where he lives even further and the local council doing their job and tackling overt acts that are simply wrong for the neighbourhood.

That’s the problem with the gutter press.

So often they pre-digest a story and present it in a way that so much of the real meat is lost in the pursuit of sensationalism and impact in order to draw and hold the crowds.

John in Scotland · 10-05-2008, 08:12 AM

Bear, I take your point about the fact that the press often (OK, make that 'usually') distort stories.

I also take your point about flying a large flag rather spoiling the appearance of a genteel residential area - though I do have questions about how much the law should intervene in this sort of matter, and whether a large Jolly Roger is really that bad.

I do get the impression, however, (though perhaps I have been led astray by the deceitful press) that had the gent in question been flying a St George's Cross, there would have been no problem - which seems somewhat strange to me.

(As one of the non-nationalists on this forum, I would find flying national flags at least as sinister as flying Jolly Rogers. And there are a lot of people in Northern Ireland who find the flying of Union Jacks rather threatening.)

Mikeuk · 10-05-2008, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Bear

Well sorry, guys, but I can see the sense in this. If I lived in a group of houses and someone chose to fly a darned big flag such as that, be it the Jolly Roger or the Union flag and all things in-between in the way that he did, I would not be greatly impressed.

Let’s look at the facts.

For one thing we don’t know when his daughters birthday was, all we do know is that the council received a complaint on April 16th.

He was SENT a letter on April 21st, that’s 5 days later telling him he had 7 days to take the horrible big thing down, and big it certainly was.

5 feet by 3 feet, that’s not far short of the size of a single bed sheet. Hanging out in front of a house in a residential area.

We also know that he left the thing in place for days after the party, we have to wonder why.

Why he left such an inappropriate thing hanging outside a house in what otherwise looks like a quite respectable area.

We also read that his kids behaviour has been cause for complaint in the past, so maybe there’s more to this than just a guy being pilloried for being a bit eccentric and there’s more than a little “let’s wind them up” dimension involved on his part.

So rather than it being a guy being persecuted by some “jobsworth” it actually looks far more like a guy with a family that are causing concern by their behaviour to at least some of his neighbours bringing down the “tone” of where he lives even further and the local council doing their job and tackling overt acts that are simply wrong for the neighbourhood.

That’s the problem with the gutter press.

So often they pre-digest a story and present it in a way that so much of the real meat is lost in the pursuit of sensationalism and impact in order to draw and hold the crowds.

Agree 100%. Nothing looks worse than football flags, sheets inscribed 'Sharon is 30' and other such disgusting trash hung out of windows.

Nothing is more calculated to bring the appearance of a respectable neighbourhood down to the level of a council estate inhabited by 'problem families'.

I am happy to put posters in my window advertising the Church Fete, CPRE meetings etc. I will never, in any circumstances, put up political posters or anything completely stupid like a pirate flag.

Although the last street I lived in was rather up-market with householders of average age 50+ and hardly any children, some lemming decided to heed the local rag's demand for street parties to celebrate the 99th birthday of Mrs Saxe-Coburg Gotha or some equally forgettable event.

We told neighbours that we were booked for an unavoidable family event that day, stole away at the crack of dawn, and spent the day in the Isle of Wight.

A few days later we heard that the party had been invaded by brats from several streets away and the organisers had all fallen out. No such party was ever held again.

Mikeuk · 10-05-2008, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John in Scotland

I do get the impression, however, (though perhaps I have been led astray by the deceitful press) that had the gent in question been flying a St George's Cross, there would have been no problem - which seems somewhat strange to me.

All flags associated with 'football' (ie soccer) should be banned.

Eurosceptic Atlanticist · 10-05-2008, 09:29 AM

I agree with bear on this one - except for the case of the Union flag - which (like all other national and county flags of the United Kingdom) is, and should remain legal to fly.

mkpdavies · 10-05-2008, 10:18 AM

I am going to fly a Jolly Roger outside my house now and also a Millwall flag.

09-05-2008, 07:12 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ea of Dune Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Hell Posts: 586	Pirates I actually though this was going to be some kind of joke . F****g council knobheads. Ea of dune

09-05-2008, 08:50 PM	#3 (permalink)
steve fowler Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Nr Birmingham Posts: 1,064	I would have told them to either do it or get ****ed!. __________________ RULE BRITANNIA BRITANNIA RULES THE WAVES, BRITONS NEVER EVER SHALL BE SLAVE'S. Never give in - never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. Winston Churchill. When Labour won the 1997 General Election, Enoch Powell told his wife that the electorate had voted to break up the United Kingdom.

10-05-2008, 06:41 AM	#5 (permalink)
The Bear Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: East Anglia Posts: 993	Well sorry, guys, but I can see the sense in this. If I lived in a group of houses and someone chose to fly a darned big flag such as that, be it the Jolly Roger or the Union flag and all things in-between in the way that he did, I would not be greatly impressed. Let’s look at the facts. For one thing we don’t know when his daughters birthday was, all we do know is that the council received a complaint on April 16th. He was SENT a letter on April 21st, that’s 5 days later telling him he had 7 days to take the horrible big thing down, and big it certainly was. 5 feet by 3 feet, that’s not far short of the size of a single bed sheet. Hanging out in front of a house in a residential area. We also know that he left the thing in place for days after the party, we have to wonder why. Why he left such an inappropriate thing hanging outside a house in what otherwise looks like a quite respectable area. We also read that his kids behaviour has been cause for complaint in the past, so maybe there’s more to this than just a guy being pilloried for being a bit eccentric and there’s more than a little “let’s wind them up” dimension involved on his part. So rather than it being a guy being persecuted by some “jobsworth” it actually looks far more like a guy with a family that are causing concern by their behaviour to at least some of his neighbours bringing down the “tone” of where he lives even further and the local council doing their job and tackling overt acts that are simply wrong for the neighbourhood. That’s the problem with the gutter press. So often they pre-digest a story and present it in a way that so much of the real meat is lost in the pursuit of sensationalism and impact in order to draw and hold the crowds. __________________ Signature removed because it wound me up every time I read it!

10-05-2008, 08:12 AM	#6 (permalink)
John in Scotland Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The Highlands Posts: 74	Bear, I take your point about the fact that the press often (OK, make that 'usually') distort stories. I also take your point about flying a large flag rather spoiling the appearance of a genteel residential area - though I do have questions about how much the law should intervene in this sort of matter, and whether a large Jolly Roger is really that bad. I do get the impression, however, (though perhaps I have been led astray by the deceitful press) that had the gent in question been flying a St George's Cross, there would have been no problem - which seems somewhat strange to me. (As one of the non-nationalists on this forum, I would find flying national flags at least as sinister as flying Jolly Rogers. And there are a lot of people in Northern Ireland who find the flying of Union Jacks rather threatening.) Last edited by John in Scotland; 10-05-2008 at 08:15 AM.

10-05-2008, 10:18 AM	#10 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,276	I am going to fly a Jolly Roger outside my house now and also a Millwall flag. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

10-05-2008, 06:11 AM	#4 (permalink)
John in Scotland Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The Highlands Posts: 74	This, to me, is the interesting bit. "He was told that the flying of flags was controlled by the Town and Country (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992. These stipulate that only 'a national flag of any country, the flag of the European Union, the Commonwealth, the United Nations, English County flags and saints' flags associated with a particular county' can be flown. " Well, there's a handy piece of legislation that we can thank John Major for. What on earth was the point? And even worse, the flag of the European Union, which is highly offensive to millions of decent, ordinary people, can quite legally be flown.

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