After a hard struggle, popular opinion finally convinced the local council in Dorset to organise a flag competition. The winning design conceived by Stephen Coombes and Dave White,had been promoted for some time before the council, having been initially opposed to the idea of a county flag, finally changed its mind. It had been hoped to establish the flag on the registry by popular demand and general use on the same basis as the Pembrokeshire flag. Sponsorship deals were arranged with local businesses who funded the production of a number of flags that could be flown across the county. By the time of the council competition, arranged in conjunction with the Flag Institute, such familiarity catapulted the winner to an outstanding success. Initially named The “St Wite’s Cross” after a local Anglo-Saxon saint it is also known simply as the Dorset Cross. The colours of the flag are found in the Dorset County Council arms, on which two golden dragons support a white shield charged with three leopards over a fleur-de-lis, all red. During the Duke of Monmouth’s uprising in 1685, the Dorset militia wore red coats with yellow facings. The drummers actually had this reversed with yellow coats and red facings. The same colour combination can be found in a number of local arms and additionally the golden field also recalls the county’s agriculture where bright golden rapeseed fields appear each year around Spring and golden wheat fields in Summer. Golden Cap is the highest point of the county’s world-famous Jurassic Coast and Gold Hill, Shaftesbury has featured in much advertising and is another nationally recognised area. This bright striking flag is perhaps the most cheering of our county flags. Read more about the flag athttp://dorsetflag.webs.com