I'm Still Standing...

At 11.20am on Saturday June 15th 1996 the biggest ever bomb to be detonated on the British mainland ripped apart the heart of Manchester's city centre. Just one hour earlier 80,000 people had been going about their normal Saturday morning routines. Thankfully Police were mobilised quickly after a telephone warning and miraculously no lives were lost. There were however over 200 injured mostly by flying glass and debris that was scattered up to half a mile away.
As the smoke cleared an unlikely icon of Manchester's strength and resolve stood defiantly amid the rubble and devastation. A humble red pillar box was the only piece of Corporation Street to have withstood the blast of the 3,300lb (1500Kg) IRA bomb. The truck containing the bomb was parked just next to the cast-iron postbox which nevertheless survived intact. A brass plaque on the box facia recognises the importance of this historic survivor.
Recognised the world over pillar boxes were not introduced in the British Isles until the 1850's. Originally all letter boxes were painted green and it was not until the 1870's that red became the standard colour.