The flag thing is interesting.

Eastern England in general - roughly analogous, coincidentally enough, to the old Danelaw; the areas of high Anglo-Saxon settlement and Protestantism; and the districts with the highest support for Brexit - is quite comfortable seeing the English flag flying and sees it as a grand thing.

More cosmopolitan areas, less rooted populations, and areas that have drunk deeply the outpourings of American universities and cultural norms since WW2 see the English flag as hostile, cringe, or a sports banner.

It's one of the many divides in modern England. Someone in Scarborough looking at the flag flying would smile and be cheered; someone in Leeds would start crying and try to tear it down.