A family business since 1975

In loving memory of our founder Clifford Newton “the Flag Man” who sadly passed away in November 2018 aged 85 years
The family business of Newton Newton Flag & Banner Makers was established in Radcliffe-on-Trent in August 1975. Decades later, Newton Newton still holds the same values of quality, trust and integrity at the heart of everything we do. “I had no experience when I first set up the company, just a real fire in the belly” recalled Cliff. “It’s never been a job for me, it’s a passion.”
 

After Cliff & his wife Georgina retired, the business was left in the capable hands of his two daughters, Tracy & Selina who successfully run the business today.

Where it all began

Cliff Newton’s interest in flags was first stimulated as a boy after his Father bought home a German flag from the end of WW2.

Cliff’s father played the Saxophone and lost his instrument in Norway in 1941.  He needed another as it was another way of earning a living with his dance band at weekends.

After being de-mobbed in 1945, he went to purchase a new saxophone.  At the same time, he took Cliff to the London flag makers of Turtle & Pearce, 31 Tanner Street, London, SE1 4LQ to get his first flag – a brand new Union ‘Jack’.

That’s when Cliff’s interest in vexillology (flags) was stimulated. The word vexillology had not even been thought of at that time. It was some years later in 1957 before it became the collective noun for the study of flag history, usage, protocol and etiquette.

This started Cliff’s on a journey collecting flags and over the next 25 years though lowly schooled (Class 3 Army Certificate) he became engrossed in Vexillology.

Early Beginnings

The family business of Newton Newton Flag & Banner Makers was established in Radcliffe-on-Trent in August 1975 after a Hotel in Nottingham asked if they could borrow some flags for an event.

Cliff’s responded with a “you can’t borrow them, but you can hire them”. Turns out the hotel was hosting athletes for the 1975 World Rowing Championships which were being held just down the road at Holme Pierrepoint. Newton Newton went on to hire all the National flags for this event.

The early years of Newton Newton was purely as a company which hired National flags and was run in tandem with Mum & Dad’s respective ‘day’ jobs.

Under the Category of ‘The Creation of a Small Business’ he studied methods, materials and techniques at 23 flag makers across 19 states of the USA.

In 1984 Dad successfully applied for a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fund Fellowship.

On Dad’s return from the USA Newton Newton started to manufacture flags and ceremonial standards and the rest, as they say, is history…