Fight for a Fenland flag flutters on

Two years on and one man’s fight for Fenland to have its own flag is still going strong.

James Bowen, 47, has been pushing for the region to have its own official flag and came up with a design which include’s a tiger on a yellow background with blue stripes running down the edges on either side.

Mr Bowman said: “The obvious symbol of the Fens is the Fen Tiger. This designation derives from the sometimes violent opposition of the local population to the drainage schemes of the 16th and 17th centuries.

“The term has subsequently been used for various clubs and associations. The proposed design features a heraldic tiger placed in a central field of yellow, representing agricultural prosperity. The blue outer fields represent the region’s natural and man-made waterways.”

For the flag to be officially registered in the UK, Mr Bowman needs to prove to the Flag Institute that there is a clear expression of support for it.

He needs to pull together evidence of people using it and present it to the organisation.

To do this, Mr Bowman has made car stickers and postcards of the design and gathered support from across the area including MP Lucy Frazer.

The MP for South East Cambridgeshire wrote a letter to the Flag Institute in support of the idea.

In a letter to Mr Bowman, the MP wrote: “Thanks you for writing to me about your design for a Fenland Flag.

“I was pleased to receive to receive the postcard you enclosed bearing your Fenland Flag design. “It is certainly a very smart and well-thought-out design and I wish you luck in your efforts of getting it officially accepted by the Flag Institute.

“As such, I have written to the Flag Institute to express my support for your proposal.”