throwing the flag in the bin

my life sometimes seems a race against the bin men. especially when i’m photoing human remains in the street. this morning was a poignant example.
i spotted this union jack flag down in the gutter. i’d just taken a photo of it when a Father Ted Uncle Jack looky-likey street cleaner came along and shoved it in his dustcart.
it was quite a poignant moment. if only i knew what that meant.