It was an idea that came to pub landlord Tiny Little during a trip to Falmouth when he noticed the St Piran flag of Cornwall being flown everywhere.

'I wondered if there was a Norfolk flag and when I came home I looked it up on Google – and to my amazement I found one,' he said.

Tiny, 55, who has run the Alexandra Tavern, in Stafford Street, Norwich, since leaving the Royal Navy 25 years ago, confessed that although he was born and bred in the Lake District, he had developed a strong allegiance to Norfolk since settling here.

Immediately resolving to have the red, yellow, blue and white flag fluttering from the wall of his pub, he found a flag maker in Lawson Road to stitch one.

He said: 'It is derived from the Norfolk County Council crest, but in the two months I have been flying it most of my customers have said, 'what is it? I did not know we had a Norfolk flag'.'

Tiny, who stole the limelight in 2005 when he rowed across the Atlantic to raise money for the Davenport Trust, a local charity raising awareness of depression in young people, said the Alexandra Tavern's sister pub, the Coach and Horses, in Thorpe Road, was also flying the flag.

He said: 'A radio phone-in last week established that there are two or three private houses also flying it.

'But it would be great to see a lot more people take up the idea and hoist Norfolk's very own flag.

'Companies and places with Norfolk in the name ought to consider it.'

Tiny said although it was expensive to have a flag hand-sewn, it was relatively cheap to have one printed.

Do you have any bright suggestions where the Norfolk flag could be flown? Call Evening News reporter Stephen Pullinger on 01603 772446 or email stephen.pullinger@archant.co.uk

The Evening News has been urging people to return to pubs in our Love your Local campaign.

Have you got a pub story? Call Evening News reporter David Bale on 01603 772427 or email david.bale2@archant.co.uk