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Residents have hit out after a Devon town's Norman castle was draped in a giant rainbow flag during Pride festival celebrations.
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castle → see → celebrations
Totnes locals awoke on Saturday to discover the iconic structure had been adorned in a 150 metre (492ft) flag as part of a four-day event.
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structure → awake → event
The huge display was unfurled and raised by 30 local flag bearers.
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display → unfurl → bearers
Organisers said the artistic display, called Capture the Castle, was used to signify that 'queer people have always been here and always will be'.
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people → say → Castle
The installation has divided opinion among residents, with some accusing the group of diminishing the castle's historical significance.
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some → divide → significance
Ian Robinson wrote on Facebook: '950 years of Norman history, medieval warfare, royal decrees and Civil War – all leading up to the moment we thought: "You know what this ancient castle really needs?
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castle → write → what
Still, at least the tea room survived long enough to witness the decline.
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room → survive → decline
A giant rainbow flag was raised around Totnes Castle in Devon to celebrate Pride Festival
Local roofer Russell Blackaller added: 'I’m all for celebrating and being generally positive about culture and people.
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I → raise → culture
However, working on listed buildings for a living, I must admit I can’t help but find this quote controversial.
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quote → work → living
'People who live in grade II listed buildings require formal consent sometimes purely to erect a scaffolding.
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who → live → scaffolding
'Yet here we’re draping flags around a grade I listed monument purely to have a celebration.
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we → drape → celebration
I mean I suppose maybe consent was granted for this.
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consent → mean → this
I didn’t check.
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I → check → ?
But even still I find it inappropriate.'
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it → find → ?
Courtney Soleil said: 'No one is saying people shouldn’t be free to live as they choose, but not every historic landmark needs to be turned into a statement for the cause of the moment.
'
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landmark → say → moment
This is a 950-year-old Norman castle and part of Britain’s shared heritage.
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This → share → heritage
Countless people have served and died for the Crown and country, and we commemorate that sacrifice on Remembrance Day.
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we → serve → Day
'Surely it’s reasonable to want historic monuments to represent our shared history rather than continually being used to promote one particular cause.
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monuments → ’ → cause
However, some residents defended the decision to raise the huge flag in support of the local festival.
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residents → defend → festival
The huge display was unfurled and raised by 30 local flagbearers on the Norman castle
Heather Owen wrote: 'It’s grim to think that throughout its long history anyone in the least alternative would have been persecuted, even murdered; we have much to celebrate in our present millennium.'
Neil Clarke added: 'I’d love to live in a world where Pride was completely unnecessary.
'Where two men could hold hands, two women could kiss goodbye in the street, or somebody could simply mention their same-sex partner without ever having to consider whether the people around them might react with hostility.
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people → unfurl → hostility
'But we don’t quite live in that world yet.
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we → live → world
And, rather wonderfully, the comments underneath this photograph demonstrate the point far more effectively than the 150 metres of rainbow fabric ever could.
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metres → demonstrate → fabric
'Nobody has damaged the castle.
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Nobody → damage → castle
Nobody has rewritten its history.
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Nobody → rewrite → history
Nobody has forced you to attend Pride, wave a flag or change anything about the way you live your own life.
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you → force → life
'For one morning, an ancient building was used as the backdrop to tell part of the local community: you belong here too.
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you → use → community
'
A spokesman for Totnes Pride told The Telegraph: 'Capture the Castle is the image that will define this year’s festival, but what we’ve built around it is a genuinely ambitious arts and culture programme – over 40 events.
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built → tell → it
'We’ve worked hard to create a four-day programme that reflects what makes this town special – its community, in all of its colourful and eclectic glory.
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town → work → glory
But above all, it’s a place that welcomes people from all walks of life.
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that → ’ → life
'
Totnes Pride has previously come under fire for its use of council funding for art installations.
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Pride → come → installations
In 2015, the group caused a row over plans for a permanent rainbow zebra crossing.
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group → cause → crossing
It was eventually blocked by Devon County Council, which said it may confuse drivers.
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it → block → drivers
Critics also questioned whether a Union flag would have been allowed to drape the walls of the council.
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flag → question → council
In 2016, Totnes Council removed a Union flag which was deemed 'too noisy' when it was flapping in the wind.
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it → remove → wind
Totnes Castle was first raised soon after the Norman Conquest and sits at the highest point of the hilltop town.
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Castle → raise → town
It is considered one of the best preserved examples of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle in England.
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It → consider → England
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