Bees...

Someone was asking me about what is was with Manchester and bees. You can see them all over the city. For those who don't know they are on the city's coat of arms and were put there by the Victorians who saw the city as a hive of industry and all its residents as busy worker bees. Sadly the honey wasn't particularly shared out equally in those days.

And wandering round Manchester on a sunny afternoon now you can see some of that 'hive of activity' has returned with the streets busy and buildings going up all over the city.

Not many people know or take the trouble to study the clock on the Palace Hotel apart from checking the time as they arrive at Oxford Road Station. But there are bees up there as well. Each clock face has a bee at 3, 6, 9 and 12.