Yule Britannia

Christmas at Bank Chambers in Charlotte Street. The steel lady is Britannia, an ancient term for Britain, and also a personification of this island.  

Bank Chambers was formerly home to the Bank of England. The outer wall is 16 inches thick and was built to withstand bomb attacks, making it one of the safest buildings in Manchester. There’s even a small gap between the inner and outer walls, which is rumoured to have been patrolled by guard dogs. Every Tuesday the surrounding roads were closed off to allow the delivery of gold bullion to the bank. The bank, in its heyday, saw hundreds of millions of pounds pass through the vaults every week. The car parking for Bank Chambers is also a little more secure than most, being located inside the old bank vault.