Flag Flyers of Manawatū: Tim Scott and Kathriona Benvie

Awapuni's Kathriona Benvie and Tim Scott with one of their nearly 200 flags - have a nice day, matey.

Tim Scott and Kathriona

Benvie have 192 flags.

The Palmerston North couple know this because each flag is listed in a spreadsheet, complete with description.

Tim started flying flags about 30 years ago and bought a couple of flags from a secondhand shop. He lived on a hill at the time and people could see his flag from the main road.

"I thought it was nice to have a flag pole and a flag, originally."

Tim and Kathriona live in Sharon Place, Awapuni, and change their flag about once a week.

They receive a lot of comments – not just from neighbours but dog walkers and other passersby. A woman knocked on their door one day to say they were flying "her" flag – the three-legged man of the Isle of Man.

Their Zimbabwean-born neighbour got excited when they flew that country's flag.

"You never know who we are going to impress or affect," Kathriona says.

Tim and Kathriona bought many of their flags during their travels. Most are country, island or city ones but they also have novelty ones such as Blackbeard the pirate's personal flag that features a skeleton.

Another flag is a parrot eyeing up a cocktail and proclaiming "it's five o'clock somewhere".

They also have a collection of event-specific flags, such as Happy New Year and Happy Easter.

Friends and family know to buy them flags. The spreadsheet comes in handy as they often go into a shop and forget they already have a particular flag.