the symbol of manchester?

[adrian wilford]

saw on beeb 2 this evening that in Manchester civic hall there are mosiac bees in the floor of Manchester Civic Hall, can anyone put any facts about the story? seen the same at a monestry in Cyprus, is it related to hard work or what? many thanks.

 

[alldigging]

http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/ten-towns.html

Search bee on that page to get to the bit about it

The Arms of the City of Manchester

"On a wreath of colours, a terrestrial globe semée of bees volant, all proper."

There are some bees on metal bollards somewhere too.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...E4rG0QWT64GYBQ&ved=0CIoBELAE&biw=1333&bih=665

Lots of pics of them.

 

[Andy Duff]

They probably stole the idea, like Manchester does with everything they stake a claim to-
MUFC- the red devils, stolen from Salford RLFC
Town Hall- Copied from Rochdale.
Hang on, Bury's coat of arms has bees(honey bees) on it so the bees in Manchester are probably............wait for it..........
robber bees

 

[TBRNoTB]

saw on beeb 2 this evening that in Manchester civic hall there are mosiac bees in the floor of Manchester Civic Hall, can anyone put any facts about the story? seen the same at a monestry in Cyprus, is it related to hard work or what? many thanks.

I seem to remember something on Antique's Roadshow about a Victorian saying about Manchester, "as everyone being as busy as bees".....if only.

 

[Phayze]

i read somewhere it has something to do with the industrial revolution and symbolises the hard working people of manchester back then there are bees carved on bridges and other places buildings all throughout manchester

 

[Dunbarrover]

The Bee symbol is also used on arms of Manchester Local Brewers, Boddingtons.

Long history of bees as a symbol of industry and enterprise. Used a lot in the early years of the founding of the modern states in America, with the new states adopting bees/hives on their crests. George Washington had beehives on his masonic apron!

Also Napoleon had gold bees embroidered on his coronation robes.

Used the Manchester Bee Image on our labels for our first honey crop last year ( not for sale) liked the idea of an industrial image rather than rural images of skeps and idyllic countryside scenes, given that the hives are in city centre/suburban locations.

 

[victor meldrew]

There's the Beehive pub in Horwich and used to be a large textile plant there also. Called 'The Beehive Mill'
VM

 

[alldigging]

http://www.g7uk.com/photo-clock-palace-former-refuge-assurance-building-oxford-road-manchester.shtml

I'm sure anyone who's ever been to Manchester Oxford Street station will recognise this clock... but a friend of mine sent me a photo recently pointing out something on the clockface itself.

Yes, you've guessed it bees! How cool is that!

 

[Der Alte Fritz]

Napoleon's personal symbol (rather than his Imperial one) was a bee.

Have you not heard of Napoleon's retreat from Manchester?

 

[northernsoul]

Bees are the symbol for Manchester.

When I was at school there I even had bees on my school tie.

 

[alldigging]

Bees are the symbol for Manchester.

When I was at school there I even had bees on my school tie.

Which school was that?

 

[northernsoul]

St Bede's

 

[alldigging]

St Bede's

http://www.stbedescollege.co.uk/?s=uniform
Indeed there are bees on the badge still!

Can't see a decent pic of a tie though.

 

[northernsoul]

Boys were allowed to wear two different ties in my day.
The one you see on the website and the tie produced in 1976 for the centenary. The latter had a bee at the top
I doubt those exist or are allowed any more.

 

[thorn]

George Washington had beehives on his masonic apron

It's the beehive, rather than the bee, that is the Masonic symbol. "The beehive is an emblem of industry, and recommends the practice of that virtue to all created beings, from the highest seraph in heaven, to the lowest reptile in the dust. It teaches us that as we came into the world rational and intelligent beings, so we should ever be industrious ones, never sitting down contented while our fellow-creatures are in want, when it is in our power to relieve them, without inconvenience to ourselves." (Dr Oliver, a 19C cleric and Freemason).

The pictures are always of skeps. In a hundred years time will they be of poly hives?