Post script

We all love a secret, don't we? And the Postal Museum's secret railway is one of the best. Mail Rail runs underneath London's streets. It used to deliver mail, and now the 100 year old network delivers delights to museum visitors in its tiny trains. The museum has been nominated as Museum of the Year 2018, and it's only been open a few months - I guess the railway won't be secret much longer.

Some seem surprised that this museum has been such a success, but I'm just as surprised that they're surprised. People have an innate need to communicate, and the story of our postal service is fascinating. It's battled through attacks by highwaymen, bombs and even a lion (it's worth a visit to the museum for that story alone).

The secret railway sign is on the paving of a pretty garden area which includes a living wall studded with red post boxes. For fans of food, the cafe is worth a mention, as it's a notch better than the usual fare. So it's probably worth a visit now, while it's still (nearly) a secret. More info here.

Wisdom and effort

I walk past signs like these all the time and rarely make the effort to look at the detail. This pretty milestone in Didsbury bears Manchester's coat of arms. Granted in 1842, the symbol is packed with information. The motto "Concilio et labore" means something like "Wisdom and effort". The ship represents Manchester's trading. The lion is of course a symbol of bravery and the antelope symbolises peace and harmony; both bear the red rose of Lancaster.

Most familiar is the worker bee - the globe at the top is covered with them; you can see it more clearly on this larger sign near Spinningfields. The bee is a symbol of industry, adopted during the industrial revolution. You can find bees all over Manchester, from the tiled floors in the Town Hall (a giveaway when it's used in films as a stand-in for the Houses of Parliament) to bins and bollards.