Dear Chris,
Isn’t there a popular pub in London called the “Hope and Anchor”? Does the name of the pub have any reference to the Rhode Island state flag (in the U.S.)? The flag has the words “HOPE” just below a large anchor. Just curious.
Thanks,
Nick Elming
Los Angeles, CA

Dear Nick
Very interesting. You could be on to something here. Hold on, I just looked it up and found this on good old wikipedia:
Public houses can take their names from religious symbolism
“Anchor, Hope & Anchor, Anchor & Hope: From the Letter to the Hebrews (6:19): “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope.”

for the Rhode Island flag I found this:

Rhode Island’s official flag was adopted in 1897. The flag is white, fringed with
yellow on three sides. A yellow anchor is circled by 13 yellow stars (the stars
symbolize the original 13 colonies). A blue ribbon is under the anchor and
reads, “HOPE.” The anchor was first adopted as a seal for Rhode Island in
1647, when the four original towns of Rhode Island (Providence, Warwick,
Portsmouth, and Newport) united under a single charter

So probably the flag and the pub have used the bible as an inspiration
CB