>>I decided there and then to have a drink in EVERY SINGLE ONE. so far I have been in 493 as far North as Fochabers Scotland and down to Penzance, the Isle Of Wight, East to the Norfolk Broads and West to Cardigan<<

And you still managed to spell all that correctly....

Chapeau!

It's a lion that is red!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of...e_of_Lancaster

See the coat of arms with a lion on it.

Didn't John of Gaunt change his coat of arms when he gave up his claim to Leon (the lion in his arms) in 1388?

John of Gaunt had three different set of coats of arms, using the Leon/Catille quartering only during the 17 year he was married to Constance of Castille. His personal device wan't the lion, but three ostrich feathers - and there's no evidence the lion was ever associated with him personally.

How many Three Ostrich Feathers pubs are there in Britain?

Google it ;)

>>How many Three Ostrich Feathers pubs are there in Britain?<<

Almost any pub with three ostrich feathers on its sign would be named the Prince of Wales, since that's been the badge for successive Princes of Wales since I don't know when. Most such pubs will have been built during the long period when the title was held by her son Albert Edward (Edward VII).

Quote <b>PatrickLondon</b>: <i>"Most such pubs will have been built during the long period when the title was held by her son Albert Edward (Edward VII).</i>

Has Victoria become "She-who-must-not-be-named"?

When did <i>that</i> happen?

Dr D. :)

3 Ostrich Feathers come from the Black Prince via his mother's family

>>Has Victoria become "She-who-must-not-be-named"?<<

Well, she's had more than enough publicity. But more prosaically, I didn't proof-read my second thoughts.

"3 Ostrich Feathers come from the Black Prince via his mother's family"

Not quite.

John of Gaunt and the Black Prince shared a mother (as brothers so often do), and the ostrich feathers do seem to have arrived here through her. The two brothers coloured the feathers on their arms differently - and of course Edward had them first, being the older.

But though no doubt Edward III and his wife Philippa forced baby John to wear brother Edward's castoff jumpsuits and toddler-sized jousting armour once Edward grew out of then, armorial bearings just don't get handed down like that.