deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.)

Staffordshire(/ˈstæfərdʃɪər, -ʃər/; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the south-east, the West Midlands county and Worcestershire to the south, and Shropshire to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Stoke-on-Trent.

The county is located on the River Trent, the third longest river in England. It was the site of a number of important Roman roads and consequently many archaeological sites. Coal was found at the end of the River Trent so the county was key to industrialization in England. Coal has played out so now most of the county is agricultural.

It is the home to Stoke City, a European Football Club who plays in the EFL Championship League. Stoke City was one of the founders of the EFL.

Perhaps as famous it is the birthplace of The Statsfordshire Bull Dog.

The flag features a gold field with a red chevron and the Statsford knot.

A chevron is a common heraldic symbol. It is a V that is inverted. The top chevron is the symbol of a Private First Class in the US military. The bottom is the flag of The North American Vexillologist Association (Hooray).

But, what in the world is the Statsford knot? Ahh, now that is interesting. “One legend of its origin, generally considered mythical, is that three convicted criminals who had committed a crime together were due to be executed in Stafford gaol. There was argument over who should be hanged first but the hangman solved the problem by devising this knot and hanging the three simultaneously.”

Perhaps closer is that the Statsford knot is a variation of the Wake Family knot. “The earliest known appearance of the knot in association with the Stafford family was on the 15th-century seal of Lady Joan de Stafford, Lady Wake (daughter of Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford), who adapted the Wake knot for her use.”

The flag was voted on by the county residents and was certified by the Flag Institute in 2016.