Each year we hold a Spring and a Winter Conference, and in 2021/22 we ran a special Golden Jubilee gala programme.
SAVE THE DATE: AGM and Winter ’26 Conference, Saturday 14 November, 10.00 to 17.00 GMT, FREE and ONLINE
FI Spring ’26 Conference sponsored by Flagmakers
Saturday and Sunday, 30/31 May, Bristol
Contemporary and historical vexillological presentations, exclusive guided tours, and social time.
Prices from £6.13 (including booking fee): BOOK NOW.
Saturday 30 May, Gather Round, 15-16 Brunswick Square, Bristol BS2 8NX
10.30am: registration opens
11am–6pm: presentations
- John Cartledge: Cry God for Harry, England and St … who?: An exploration of the chequered history and strange resurrection of the English national flag
Special preview of presentation to be delivered at the 31st International Congress of Vexillology, Paris, 6–10 July 2026
The summer of 2025 saw an unprecedented eruption of flags on lampposts in many English towns and cities, with the cross of St George prominent among them. But who exactly was St George? What does he have to do with England? And what message were the organisers of this sudden outburst of vexillological devotion seeking to convey?
John Cartledge is a Flag Institute member and past speaker at ICV25 Rotterdam, ICV26 Sydney, ICV27 London, ICV28 San Antonio and ICV30 Beijing.
- Eugene Byrne: Bristol: symbols and rituals 1373-2022
Bristol has always had a strong sense of exceptionalism, much of it rooted in its history as a trading port run by merchants rather than aristocrats or landowners. This mercantile oligarchy controlled the corporation but also exercised informal power through the Society of Merchant Venturers, an influential organisation which still exists today. We’ll look at the rise and decline of this local business elite from the Middle Ages to the late 20th century through the lens of its iconography, coats of arms and other symbols. Along the way we will also examine just a few of the civic rituals and spectacles the townsfolk enjoyed, from the Wars of the Roses right up to a more democratic age.
Eugene Byrne is an author, historian, and journalist who has written for numerous newspapers and magazines. He has written several books on Bristol’s history and is editor of the Bristol Post’s weekly local history supplement. He is a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of the West of England.
- Royston Alan Griffey: The Vexillological Voyages of The Matthew of Bristol
The Matthew of Bristol is a replica late fifteenth-century caravel of Portuguese design. The vessel retraced the epic 1497 voyage of exploration from Bristol of John Cabot (Giovanni Cabotto), exactly 500 years later in 1997. The modern Matthew was met in Newfoundland in Canada by the late Queen on the 500th anniversary of Cabot stepping ashore on 24 June 1497 to claim the ‘New Founde Landes’ on behalf of Henry VII.
During her voyages, both of exploration and as a trading vessel, the original 50-tun ship displayed a variety of Royal, national, municipal, ecclesiastical and personal flags, ensigns and banners. And, of course, the replica vessel did the same and still does as opportunity arises. This talk will bring to life those historic and contemporary flags, ensigns and banners.
Alderman Royston Alan Griffey JP is a former Chairman of The Matthew of Bristol Trust and now Honorary Admiral of The Matthew of Bristol.
- John Hall: Always the bridesmaid … rank flags of vice, deputy or assistant presidents, ministers and officials
For every Donald Trump there is often a JD Vance waiting just one step from power. Many countries have flags and standards for all manner of office-holders and their deputies. John will journey into the obscure recesses of the broom cupboard of state to explore symbols of rank, particularly those in the second or third tiers of protocol. And he will seek to answer that age-old question, ‘Why does an admiral have no balls at all?’
John Hall FF FFI is the current Chairman of the Flag Institute.
- Geoff Parsons: Flag flying regulations and protocol
Demystifying UK flag regulations and protocol, this session aims to encourage confident and informed flag flying, supported by official Flag Institute guidance. Geoff will cover where and how flags may be flown, who is permitted to fly them, and the correct procedures for display, including order of precedence and position. It will highlight real-world examples of political sensitivities, conflicts with local authorities and breaches of flag protocol, inviting delegates to review sample displays and spot instances of non-compliance.
Geoff Parsons MSc CEng FIET FFI is a former Flag Institute Chairman
- Alan Hardy: Subjective views on US state flags: 123 polling studies
Furthering his interest in US state flags, in 2017 Alan established, within a public forum, a comprehensive methodology for soliciting viewpoints and administering polls on all current flags and known redesigns. From then until 2025, month-in/month-out, some 200,000 flags were assessed, and the resulting study has identified and advanced several front-running options for a vastly improved set of designs. This wrap-up presentation looks to assess the project and tries to point ways forward. How can changes be implemented without incurring vast expense or running the risk of built-in social blowback?
Alan Hardy is a Flag Institute member and convenor of the NAVA Flag Design Committee
6pm–7.30pm: Old Town walking tour
Duncan McKellar, founder of Bristol’s top three walking tours, will lead us on a bespoke stroll through the old town’s historic backstreets to end on the harbourside. En route we’ll touch on Bristol’s civic life, processions, public symbolism and maritime heritage, with chance to spot where coats of arms, guild histories and other emblems still shape the cityscape. We’ll discuss Bristol’s Saxon origins, its trading past, the Blitz and even 1960s rock and roll. Passing pirate haunts, merchant houses and Robinson Crusoe’s first port of call, we’ll finish our unique tour on the waterfront – at the pub where Robert Louis Stevenson wrote his classic Treasure Island.
7.30pm: President’s Drinks at the Llandoger Trow
Sunday 31 May
10.00am–10.40am: guided tour of M Shed (part of Bristol Museums)
An expert guide will bring M Shed to life, introducing its galleries, explaining its origins and sharing memorable stories unseen on any label. The tour offers a lively introduction to Bristol’s past and present, giving a vivid sense of the city’s character and its place in the wider world. Whether you already know the city or are discovering it for the first time, the tour will add colour, context and plenty of talking points to the conference weekend.
11.30am–1pm: guided tour of SS Great Britain
An expert guide will lead a lively tour of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s legendary steamship SS Great Britain, revealing its remarkable story and the experiences of the passengers and crew who travelled the world on board. The tour explores daily life at sea, global routes and cargoes, and the ship’s role in transforming maritime travel. Along the way, our guide will highlight the use of flags and ensigns, adding an extra layer of interest for vexillologists. This visit promises an atmospheric journey through Victorian seafaring, engineering innovation, and the wider world that the SS Great Britain helped to connect.
