Kettering friends vow to keep flags flying in home town to make it 'look nice' and show pride in country

The mates, all from the local area, had been messaging on their group chat about seeing flags going up and they wanted to get involved to show their pride in the town.

Inspired by a wish to improve the town, the group under the ‘Flags for Kettering’ banner has vowed to carry on ‘proudly flying the Union K and St George’s cross’.

So far they have cable-tied 165 flags to lampposts – and are preparing to return to the streets to replace ones that have been ripped down as well as add another 250 to the number.

The Northants Telegraph met with three members of the group – ‘S’, ‘K’ and ‘H’ – who describe themselves as working family men and who have been spending evenings putting up the flags.

In a town centre cafe, within sight of the flags they had climbed up ladders to secure, the three men aged 37, 28 and 23, gave their reasons for the patriotic displays.

On his way to the rendezvous, S said he had bumped into a lady in the street who had said how ‘lovely’ the flags looked.

Smiling, he said: “So far the response has been really good. People have messaged to tell me.”

Linked to the Flags for Kettering Facebook page, S has set up a Go Fund Me appeal to help pay for more flags.

The group of approximately 20 people – including one Sikh member – have spent £350 on the first tranche of Union and St George Flags.

They then got to work putting the flags around Kettering town centre – London Road, St Mary’s Road, Windmill Avenue, Stamford Road, Montagu Street, Silver Street, Horsemarket and bridges over the A14.

K said: “We’re not trying to antagonise anyone. I’m English. We live in England. It makes the place look pretty.”

The group have been knocking on doors of homes directly where the flags would be outside windows. They say if the householder says no then they wouldn’t put a flag there.

H said: “As English people we are united, we are not here to antagonise anyone, we are Englishmen. We are proud. I’d say 97 per cent of people say ‘fair play’.”

When asked why they have been doing their flag flying at night, several reasons are given – they don’t want to be targeted and they feel safer under the cover of darkness – it’s also when they have finished work and their children are in bed.

K said: “I don’t want to be attacked – and it’s when the kids are in bed!”

They say they do not have any issues with people putting up different flags on their own properties and wouldn’t take down other flags.

H said: “I’m not trying to get the Muslim community or the Palestinian community, I’m just proud to be English. If people want to put their own flags on their property, it’s their right to do so. We are not trying to intimidate people. We are not ‘far right’. We are not thugs. We are not criminals.”

Asked for her opinion on the flags, our reporter – 58 – cited growing up in the days of skinheads, National Front marches and sectarianism. An era when ‘the troubles’ in Northern Ireland spilled onto the mainland, and personally witnessed the aftermath of bombs in London, Manchester and Brighton – a memory for the older generation but not lived experience for others.

For many, national flags have been reserved for sporting fixtures, civic flagpoles and Royal occasions – but connotations of ‘Empire’ and jingoistic behaviours associated with extreme patriotism do remain.

H said: “It’s nothing to do with the National Front or the EDL (English Defence League), none of us are part of that. None of us have any affiliation.

"We want the town to look nice, We’re not thugs or criminals. I’m a family man with a good job.”

Some commenters on Facebook stories published by this newspaper have voiced concerns and disquiet at the display of flags in the town, unsure if they are against minority groups.

K said: “I wouldn’t want to start a war over this. It’s not a territorial thing. Why would you feel uncomfortable about our flag in our country?”

Pal H adds that people in other countries put flags up as a matter of pride.

Responding to comments about the flags being raised as a protest against asylum seekers crossing The Channel, H says he thinks it won’t make any difference.

He said: “Someone said it’s because we want to ‘stop the boats’. There’s no way in the world we can stop the boats with flags.”

The trio, who are Kettering born and bred, say they have not been painting roundabouts or signs, stating vehemently that would be ‘vandalism’. They have been careful not to obstruct CCTV cameras with flags.

Despite several patriot events taking place over the summer including England’s Lionesses winning the Euros, VJ Day and currently the Women’s Rugby World Cup, the group only started their campaign after flags were put up in other parts of the country.

So why haven’t they started their flag campaign sooner?

K said: “We should have done it years ago. The council (North Northants Council) don’t do enough. This town used to be amazing, now there’s nothing. We want this town to be beautiful again." Looking out over Silver Street at the empty shops, K adds: “The old KFC has been left. Everything is boarded up. We’re putting pride back into the town, putting life back into it. When I was 13 or 14 there were youth clubs, now if you’re 13 there’s nothing. There’s hanging round town and anti-social behaviour.

"It’s the same for women, they don’t want to walk through areas. The council (North Northants Council) needs to concentrate on the right things.”

S agrees, his mother was seriously assaulted. He said: “My mum was attacked by a man with a machete – he’s inside now.”

They all have relatives who avoid certain areas of town at night.

H said: “This is not malicious or to cause a fracas. We all have friends who are multicultural.”

As most of the group work in the building trade, they say they are aware of safety implications of working with ladders – they are more concerned with people attacking them to stop their endeavours. Other areas have seen people throwing bricks and even a Molotov cocktail at flag flyers.

Some of their flags they say have been burnt – they will be replaced. Others have had other political messages added nearby.

The men are keen to disassociate their campaign from other movements, saying they want ‘to separate from political views’.

If the flags are removed by the council they expect action on other banners and advertisements on street furniture in the area.

As the interview draws to a close, the friends are asked to pose for a photo with some of the flags but all three regretfully decline.

H speaks for the group: “I don’t want to put my face out there. It would put a massive target on our backs.”

Their work continues and when asked where the flags will pop up next, they grin – watch this space.

Editor’s note: The names of those involved have been changed by request.