Thursday evening, 8pm, 23 April 2020. I’ve decided to drop my participation in the ‘Clapping for the NHS’ ritual. I feel bad about it, as I know a lot of NHS workers appreciate it. But, for me, it feels that I am being used as a puppet in a charade, papering over the chasm-sized cracks of the Government’s making, covering up their incompetence by playing along with a pan-beating distraction. In earlier weeks I was feeling good because I was showing community spirit, joining in and showing support for our health sector workers. But on reflection I realised that my action was not actually doing anything to directly help the NHS or staff, either in the short term or the long.
The charade was that we were saluting the front-line workers ‘for being brave’, as if we had asked them to expose themselves to the considerable risks to their own health for the general good. As if they were fighting some invisible enemy that nobody could have foreseen invading our green and pleasant land. As if it was OK to send them to war without basic equipment.
Not in my name, were you asked to expose yourself in this way. The Government’s years of lack of forward planning for an almost inevitable virus pandemic, and the slow start our Government made in responding to this particular virus, are matters of national disgrace. They have failed in their first duty. To look after their people. I thank all those who are doing their best on the front line, totally under equipped for the hazards they are facing.
A couple of days ago I erected a flagpole in my garden. I wanted to wave a flag for all those working to solve the Covid-19 problem. We thought about making a heart banner for the NHS, or a rainbow, but our house has no doors or windows visible from the street. But we live on a Nailsworth street corner and lots of people walk by; even more than usual as people get their daily exercise walking from their homes round our little town.
So a flagpole in the exposed corner of the garden, it is.
Putting up a flagpole is not really my thing. I’m happy enough keeping anonymous and unnoticed. But these are strange days. Having a lockdown-induced shed clearance, I found a seven-foot long aluminium pole left by the previous owner. We’ve only lived here four years. I didn’t know what the pole was for, but was delighted to discover it was extendable, and I now have a thirteen-foot pole planted in the ground.
But what to wave to our passing public?
We could have made our own banner, but we don’t have any spare banner-making materials. We don’t have much storage space at home, so we move surplus stuff along. Having discounted the UK flag, the EU flag, and the English, Irish and Welsh flags of my ancestors, we went for ‘The People’s Republic of Stroud’ flag.
What is ‘The People’s Republic of Stroud’?
The strap line is “People’s Republic of Stroud - Everybody Welcome”. For more information I give you the words of Clay Sinclair, Artist and Owner of the 'Art of Clay' Gallery at the top end of Stroud High Street. (‘Art of Clay’ is currently operating as a mail-order business.)
“The 24 June 2016 was a momentous day for the people of Stroud. For on this day, The People’s Republic of Stroud was declared. The rest of the UK will mark this date as the morning Brexit became a reality, but for the town and region of Stroud, this was the day that the people of this land awoke from their slumber, took up their paintbrushes, guitars and herbal tea and declared….”we are different” ………..Well, I did anyway…..
It was on this day that I witnessed a bit of nasty abuse toward the Refugee Aid charity shop next to my gallery and thought…. that’s not cool. My response was to produce a poster declaring ‘The People’s Republic of Stroud’ with the unifying message of ‘Everybody Welcome’. A couple of positive responses later (I don’t need much encouragement) and the tongue-in-cheek Republic was born.
The ‘Five Valley’ flag was designed in 2015 in the midst of my New Zealand flag referendum obsession. I had a couple of flags that were being seriously considered as a replacement for my homeland's national banner, which of course ended in failure.
Flag Symbolism:
Five Valley Wonky Star: Every revolution needs a star, except this is a peaceful, non-violent white one. More like, Stroud…..shining light to the world and a little wonky.
Red: The colour of revolution, the worker, passion and the red coat cloth that was traditionally produced in the Stroud valleys.
Green: The hills are alive with hippies playing guitars, dogs chasing cows and views to die for. Billiard table cloth the more traditional reference.
The Revolution starts here in The People's Republic of Stroud” Clay Sinclair
Coming back to Nailsworth, I put up my People’s Republic flag on 21 April, the day our Queen turned 94. Purely a coincidence.
And passers-by are enjoying the flag. Waving, not clapping.
(Andrew Budd)
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