How flag became a cherished symbol of Lincolnshire

Caroline Bingham, from the Lincolnshire Life magazine, says the flag is "terrific"

It might feel like it has been around forever, but Lincolnshire's familiar flag is actually only 20 years old.

The design – a red and yellow cross and fleur-de-lis, set against a blue and green background – was unveiled on 1 October 2005.

Now, to mark the anniversary and this year's Lincolnshire Day, creator Michelle Andrews has explained how she came up with the flag, which has since popped up everywhere from the Glastonbury Festival to the Tour de France.

"Lincolnshire is an amazing place and the idea behind the flag was to shout about that and tell the rest of the world," said Ms Andrews.

She said the design celebrated different aspects of the county.

Blue represents Lincolnshire's skies and coast, while green represents farmland. The yellow fleur-de-lis is the symbol of Lincoln and the red cross represents the cross of St George.

The yellow band surrounding the cross is a nod to the nickname "Yellowbellies", given to those who are born and bred in the county.

The flag was created as part of a joint project between BBC Radio Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire Life magazine, with people voting on the final design.

Lincoln Cathedral will be lit in the colours of the county flag to mark the annual Lincolnshire Day

Caroline Bingham, the chief executive of Lincolnshire Life, said the design was never copyrighted to allow it to be used by any organisation.

She said: "I travel around the county a lot and you see it flying on public buildings, you see it flying from private houses and I think that's terrific.

"The legacy is that it is here to stay. It is there for everyone, it is about having the love for the place where you live and admiring the best qualities about it."

Ms Andrews, who works at Lincoln Cathedral, said the team behind the flag had "no idea" whether it would catch on, but it was great to see it popping up in unexpected places, such as music festivals and sporting events.

"Over the years we've seen thousands of people take it to their hearts and it has become a widely recognised and I hope, a much-loved, symbol of Lincolnshire," she added.

Lincolnshire Day has been celebrated on 1 October since 2006.

The date was chosen to mark the anniversary of the Lincolnshire Uprising, a revolt against King Henry VIII's plans to establish the Church of England in 1536.

As part of the events, Lincoln Cathedral will be lit up in yellow, green, blue and red – the colours of the flag – from dusk until 22:00 BST.

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