Lancashire’s flag was promoted by the Friends of Real Lancashire (F.O.R.L). For several years a Lancashire flag was commercially available that depicted a red rose on a white field. That particular design could not be registered because it was identical to the arms of the Scottish town of Montrose which could be flown as a “banner of the arms” and therefore the former pattern contradicted the FI uniqueness stipulation. Turning for inspiration from the coat of arms of the Lancashire County Council the FORL elected to use the same yellow field featured on that design which also includes three red roses, sitting between two red piles –diagonal lines rising from base to foot. In essence therefore the Lancashire flag is a simplification of the banner of the council arms and is a particularly effective flag. The vibrant yellow background is a cheery design and as was noted by Chris Dawson of the FORL, the flag is much more visible “I think it will show up better than the white, which often clashes against the clouds.” Note also that the rose on this flag sits on two sepals with one at the top, the inverse of the Yorkshire rose. See also http://www.forl.co.uk/lancflag.html