This is The Bird in Hand in Leek, Staffordshire, a corner pub at Market Square. This is a story of pubs, falconry, and cultural differences. The first time I met this name was some years ago in the village of Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, Lancaster County, in the heart of the rich Amish farmland. I was surprised to see the sign of the village in a pious community and, what's worse, near another village named Intercourse!In Italy nobody would dream to name a place this way unless it was a porno-shop, lest of being the victim of the most practical jokes. The fact is that the Romans spread little winged male members around Europe to wish good luck to bridges, buildings, etc. The word "bird" in Italian is often a synonym used in ordinary speech. Later, when I saw this sign in Leek I realized the true meaning of the name of taverns, inns and pubs: the noble art of falconry. BTW I also learned that the village in Pennsylvania got the name from a hotel built on the colonial King's Highway. I like this pub in Leek, with its typical architecture, which is quintessentially British in my culturally-biased eyes. BTW falconry is still alive in Italy, especially in my region, where hawks are used in the airports. Thank you for your kind comments.