Worker bee
The worker bee is the symbol of Manchester, standing for the hard work of the city's industrial past; it appears on the city's coat of arms, bollards, bins and buildings. The bee was adopted in the nineteenth century, when Manchester's mills and warehouses were compared to a busy hive.
In practice
Look down and up in the city centre and you will find bees in mosaic floors, on cast-iron bollards, on the Town Hall and on modern street furniture. After the attack at the Manchester Arena in May 2017, the bee became a symbol of the city's unity and grief: thousands of people had bee tattoos to raise money for victims' families, and bee murals appeared across the city. The region's transport network is now called the Bee Network.
Why it matters to newcomers
The bee is used by the council, businesses, football fans and charities alike, and you will soon stop noticing how often you see it. It is worn with real emotion by many Mancunians because of 2017, so treat it as a civic symbol rather than a logo.
Related
- Cottonopolis - the industry the bee stood for
- Mancunian - the people who wear it
- Bee Network - the transport system named after it