Fluttering flags

Leithers are on the brink of being able to fly their historic coat of arms again almost 100 years after ownership was lost to locals when the Burgh was merged with Edinburgh.

Leith ward Councillor Rob Munn has revealed that a division of the Scottish Courts has written to tell him that Leith will once be allowed to use the coat of arms freely after a gap of 92 years. It follows a long running campaign, led in part by local resident and historian Alex Wilson, who has drummed up support for this campaign from various organisations to see the Leith flag return home.

According to the Lord Lyon’s office, the Arms of the Burgh of Leith were first granted in 1889, based on seals dating from the 16th century. But when Leith became part of the fabric of Edinburgh it left a vacuum as to just who should have the rights to the Arms.

Granting the rights to use the Coat of Arms to the local community council was looked at, but because Leith was served by more than one community council the idea was abandoned. The breakthrough came when Leith Academy was granted a coat of arms by the Court of Lord Lyon in 1952 to feature on the blazer of the school uniform.

Mr Wilson seized on this opportunity as a chance to try and find a solution to the long running problem. And the biggest boost came in June 2010 – the 450th anniversary of Leith Academy – when the school was allowed to use the Arms as the basis for their own design which includes books at the bottom of the shield.

This flag representing Leith was flown above the City of Edinburgh City Chambers during the week when the school received the right to the flag. But, the mission was not complete for Mr Wilson until Leith as a whole regained the ability to use the Arms properly.

With the support of Councillor Munn and a petition signed by 582 people the process began to reinstate the flag under the charge of Leith Neighbourhood Partnership. Mr Wilson said: “It is the right of the people of Leith to fly the flag unrestrained and unprohibited. Its history stretches back 1000 years and from then on was a cohesive force in developing Leith as it was.

“It was the premier port in Scotland and was cosmopolitan as a hub of all the northern European cities. We do ourselves down in Scotland by not celebrating our history, I think it is important but it is also a very good read and it needs to be out there and visible. Having the flag will also act to re-brand and remarket Leith, it could be a very different place in a few months time.”

Councillor Munn explained that the desire to have the coat of arms returned to Leith has stretched back many years and praised the efforts of Sandy Campbell the former chair of Leith Festival as well as Noel Spencer for their efforts in bringing the issue to the fore.

He said: “It is a symbolic thing but some people might say, ‘why bother’ but as someone who is not originally from Leith it is my home and part of the city that I represent and I like how older Leithers as well as younger value their identity and you can see it in lots of different ways. In the last ten years or so the creative identity of Leith has really grown through Sandy Campbell’s efforts to build up Leith Festival, the Leither magazine started up as well as Leith FM. All of these things can help to reinvigorate Leith.”

The return of the flag to Leith is also hotly anticipated by local businesses. The owner of the Victoria Park House Hotel on Ferry Road is Davide De Gaetano whose father is Italian and his mother is a born and bred Leither from Constitution Street.

He said: “I’ve got three flag poles and I’m just waiting to put something up there. One will definitely be the Leith flag. In business you need a sense of community which is lacking in other areas of society. It’s about promoting your area.”

The Lyon Clerk from the Court of Lord Lyon confirmed that the coat of arms are now those of Leith Neighbourhood Partnership. She said: “They are not precisely the same as those of the former Leith borough. That is because they cannot be reinstated if it is not to the same organisation or derivative of it.”

Throughout history, flags have been put to many uses. The earliest flags assisted military coordination on the battlefield. Over time their use evolved into various forms of signalling and identification – most commonly by nation states and the military as potent symbols of patriotism, inspiring loyalty and acts of bravery.  Over time, flags of more local significance have been lost -many as a result of the old historic burgh councils being dismantled.  These old, but not entirely forgotten flags can help restore civic pride.