Flags 2008

[halvin]

Listen up, eFestivals, I'm very disappointed in the (apparent) level of flag building this year. Personally, I can highly recommend flag building as a nice Glasto warm-up project and, just so that you've got no excuse, I've decided to condense the 30-page 2007 flag thread to a handy bulleted list.

Flag Building Tips

Supplies

• You'll need a flag, pole, bungees and ground spikes.

• Several people (including myself) have bought from http://www.skyblueleisure.co.uk/ and I haven't heard of anyone having any problems.

• The poles are hollow and telescopic. Each section is about a metre, so a 5m pole has 5 sections.

• The top metre of the pole is too thin to tie a flag to so, if you want your flag to be above the level of tents, you want a 5m or longer pole.

• Ground spikes hold the pole up. They're about 60cm long, you drive them into the ground about halfway and put the pole over the top. Skyblue recommend: 1 spike for 3m 4m 5m & 6m poles; 2 spikes for 6m & 7m poles; 3 spikes for 8m & 9m poles

• If you've got a tall pole, you may want to think about making a guy line. I used a zip tie, a stolen tent guy line and a few pegs. Attach the zip tie to the pole at a joint, tie the guy line around the pole (above the zip tie) and peg down.

• Bungees are used to tie the flags to the poles like this:

  

Decorating your flag

• If you're artistically useless (like me), do a design on a computer, print and trace. The flags are thin enough that you can easily see through them to trace with a pen.

• If you want to do a flag with the eFestivals man there's a high-res version here: http://www.halvin.co.uk/junk/ef.png. There's also a 9-page pdf ready to print and cut out: http://www.halvin.co.uk/junk/ef.pdf

• As far as I can tell, fabric paint is your best bet. I got mine from http://www.chaffinch.com/, but you can get it in department and diy stores.

• Be careful when you're painting -- the paint goes through the flag onto whatever's underneath. I've been using an open shoe box to suspend the section I'm working on.

• Permanent marker's quick and easy, but it'll run if it rains (as a few of us found out last year). I find it harder to draw with pen because it spreads through the material.

• In my experience iron-on ink jet paper doesn't work well at all. It's too stiff, it's very difficult to get several sheets to line-up exactly and it doesn't stick to the material perfectly.

Keeping your pole up (tee hee)

• You can use spikes and guy-lines, as above, but you can also tie the flag pole to a gazebo for extra support. Guy lines and gazebos will help deter flag thieves, too.

• Take some tape to stick around the joints in the pole to stop it collapsing inwards.

• Take a few zip ties, if you've got some, because they're handy.

• If you want to be really clever, use some plastic pipe to allow the flag to rotate freely. Put the pipe over the pole, fix it in place with a couple of zip ties and attach the flag to the pipe. I think I used 1/2" pipe. Using pipe like this will increase the stress on the pole but mine survived last year.

If you've got any more tips, post them here and I'll try to update the list.

Once you've completed your masterpiece, take a photo and post it. If you've already got a work in progress, let us know how you're getting on!

Come on, chop chop. Your flag's not going to paint itself!

[halvin]

2008 Flags

me.

Paul ™

hulk mike

Staberinde

MikeyB37

harvey21183

HowdyBoss

mrfunk

The Aardvark

Edited June 9, 2008 by halvin

[halvin]

2008 Flags continued

talullah

superdry

ben_cosmia

Boris

otter

thazlewood

Norainplease & Chazeboy

HarrowStrongbowCiderman! & TimeSpeedsUp

mccdyl001

*kathrynjayne*

Edited June 17, 2008 by halvin

[halvin]

2008 Flags continued

clockworkpurple

Mardy

The-Sir

mr_smiss

strudders

tommy_bonkers

Vinnyb

lywco

Edited June 23, 2008 by halvin

[tilt]

Was wondering why no flag threads!

We'll have one going on as per usual, no idea what yet!

[strudders]

Cool! top thread!

[hulk mike]

here is last years

and here is this years.

I like this years better

[Ghostkiss]

Been thinking about getting a flag sorted.......thanks for the info

[Staberinde]

*sniffs*

Great Thread Halvin

I felt nostalgic when I saw my flag, it’s a good few years old now. Great to see it pictured along side many others. This year I hope to see it flying next to the Great Red Triangle.

[Paul ™]

[halvin]

Nice one Paul, I couldn't include yours because your links from last year were dead. I'll stick it in the 2008 list.

[ben_cosmia]

remove the chas & dave flag cos thatll be stayin at home this year.

ill post mine when its finished. should be in the next fortnight.

[MikeyB37]

From 2007, should be going with me this year (altho it's a bit ragged round the edges now )...

[pogal]

This year's flag is shaping up a treat - will post when it gets a touch nearer completion!

Loving all the flags, puts me right in the mood, along with this sunshine - I can almost taste that first pint at the Cider Bus!

[a robot]

lovely to see the TEAM AWESOME flag

here's a pic of it flying in the blistering sunshine

[Paul ™]

Nice one Paul, I couldn't include yours because your links from last year were dead. I'll stick it in the 2008 list.

[halvin]

lovely to see the TEAM AWESOME flag

here's a pic of it flying in the blistering sunshine

http://photos-504.ll.facebook.com/photos-l...494662_6562.jpg

[r0cky]

lovely to see the TEAM AWESOME flag

here's a pic of it flying in the blistering sunshine

[Laura_J]

Mine for 2008 (obviously not home made)

[mike99]

look out for the mike99 flag

[HowdyBoss]

The original Howdy Boss banner survived only two festivals: 1995 and 1997. In fact, it didn't survive 1997; it got nicked. Here's a photo taken on the Wednesday, '97:

photo

Its successor debuted in 1998 and has been to every one since. Here's a photo from 2000 (my avatar):

We'll be there this year; bottom of Hitchin Hill probably. Do look out for the guy ropes!

R

Edited May 8, 2008 by HowdyBoss

[mrfunk]

TOP THREAD !!

Edited May 13, 2008 by mrfunk

[dirtyepic]

Loving all the flags!

This is mine, this was taken Glastonbury 2003 and put on the BBC Somerset website. It's been mentioned on the radio by Jo Whiley. I have no other claim to fame, just my flag!

We are the back of the field of the Other Stage, usually quite near the old railway line!

Not long now people! 47 sleeps and counting. Eeeeeh this time in 7 weeks, the festival will be started after already being there for two days!!!!

Can't flippity flippin wait!

Dirty Epic

[strudders]

Just to add we have decided to do a flag, as the kids are not to keen on me getting mullered and not remembering where the tent is!

So we Will post our design once complete in the coming weeks!

[HowdyBoss]

Mrfunk, I think I should share this photo with you, taken last year.

R

Edited May 10, 2008 by HowdyBoss