Britain is a nation with great regional diversity, and we have a rich local heritage. Whilst working in Westminster, it made me smile to see Berkshire’s flag flying proudly in Parliament Square ahead of Historic County Flags Day this Saturday. The variation of colours and motifs on the vast array of flags is quite something, offering a fantastic insight into the histories of each county. 

If you’re wondering, Berkshire is represented by the stag and the oak. This imagery dates back at least as far as 1627, when the poem ‘Battle of Agincourt’ describes the men of Berkshire marching with the symbol ‘a Stag, under an Oake that stood’. The stag also links to the Royal status of our county – something of which I know that many of us are proud, especially in this Platinum Jubilee year.