The worker bee has long been a symbol of Manchester and of the city’s hard-working past.

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And while every other city in the north of England has a heritage built upon industry - there is a reason that the bee symbol is a part of Manchester’s coat of arms which was given to the city in 1842.

 

In the 1800s Manchester was awash with textile mills that were commonly described as ‘hives of activity’ and the workers inside them compared to bees.

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‘Busy bee’ is still a term associated with industriousness and hard work.