22 September: 10 Downing Street

Robert Walpole took up residence in 10 Downing Street on this date in 1735. 10 things you might not know about Number Ten:

1. Why is the street called Downing Street in the first place? The street name dates back to the 17th century when King Charles II gave the lease to the land adjacent to Whitehall to Sir George Downing. He was the archetypal greedy developer who had 15-20 houses built there, as cheaply as possible. The deeds to the land eventually reverted back to the crown, so George II could give it to Robert Walpole. There had been buildings on the site before that - a brewery owned by the Abbot of Abingdon (so when we say today's politicians couldn't organise a p*** up in a brewery, it's truer than we think), and after that a house granted by Queen Elizabeth I to her favourite Thomas Knyvet in 1581 (He was later to become the man who arrested Guy Fawkes). This house later became the property of the Hampden family and was called Hampden House.
2. At that time, number 10 was number 5 - it became number 10 when the street was renumbered in 1779.
3. The last private occupant of the terrace which comprises 10 Downing Street was called Mr. Chicken. Robert Walpole persuaded him to move out in the 1730s.
4. The famous Black front door was Green for a while. In 1908, Herbert Henry Asquith had it painted dark green, possibly as a result of the influence of his wife, Emma. However, when Asquith left office, the door was repainted in its original black. More about the door - the "0" in the number 10 on the door is sometimes said to look wonky. Experts believe that this is because it's not a zero but a capital O. There are actually two doors, both steel reinforced blast proof doors following an IRA attack in 1991. When the door needs repainting, every couple of years, it's removed and replaced by the other one.
5. The bricks in the facade were originally Yellow, but years of pollution turned them black. When the building was cleaned as part of rennovations after WWII the original colour was rediscovered. However, because people were familiar with the black facade, the bricks were painted black again.
6. Number Ten is bigger than it looks from the outside. It has 100 rooms and a half acre garden. The original cheapskate house George Downing had built is now no more than a passageway to a grander residence at the back. One room houses an extensive art collection and the name of this room changes every time it gets redecorated. Since Margaret Thatcher's time it has been the Blue Room, the Green Room and the Terracotta Room.
7. Although 10 Downing Street is officially the residence of the Prime Minister, every prime minister from Tony Blair to Theresa May lived at number 11, a trend startes by Tony Blair because the flat above number 11 was bigger and more suitable for his family. When Gordon Brown took over he moved into number 11, although he did move back into number 10 later. David Cameron and Theresa May both lived at number 11.
8. There has been a long tradition of number 10 having a resident Cat. The tradition no doubt began as a way to keep rodents at bay. The cat has a title, "Chief Mouser". At time of writing the present encumbent is Larry, a rescue cat who has been there since 2011, who was the first cat to be given the official title. He allegendly spends more time sleeping and fighting with the cat next door, the Chancellor's Chief Mouser, Palmerston. The cat which clocked up the longest tenure as Chief Mouser was Wilberforce, who served from 1970 to 1988.
9. The front door cannot be opened from the outside. There are back entrances for staff and residents to use. There is a security officer posted to watch the CCTV pointed at the door 24/7, which is why the door always opens whenever a dignitary shows up. The letterbox is just for show, too.
10. One prime minister died there, and another had surgery. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman resigned due to ill health in 1908. He was so ill he couldn't be moved and died at number 10. His last words were "This is not the end of me." William Pitt the younger chose to have a cyst removed from his face at number 10 rather than go to hospital.

NEW!

Obsidian's Ark

Teenage years bring no end of problems. Daniel Moran's include getting hold of computer games his parents don't think he should have; a full blown crush on the beautiful Suki from Zorostan; maintaining his status as a prefect and getting his homework done. He must also keep from his parents and sister the fact that he is a superhero with a sword from another world.

Trish wonders how to get science whizz Tom to notice her; how to persuade him that the best way to stand up to the school bully is to fight back. She doesn't want her friends, especially not Tom, to know she is a genetic variant with superpowers. Little does she know that Tom has secrets of his own.

Suki struggles to make friends at school when she cannot understand everyday cultural references, and they all suspect her of being a terrorist. She, too, has a secret, but is it what her classmates assume?

When Daniel stumbles upon a plot by an alliance of supervillains to plunge the world into war, he tries to alert the established superheroes, but none of them believe him. When the Prime Minister's only daughter, Yasmin Miller, is abducted, Daniel knows the villains' plan is underway. It seems humanity's only hope may be Daniel and the ragtag bunch of teenage superheroes he recruits. Can he pull together, not only his own team, but the older heroes as well, in a bid to save the Earth from a devastating war?

Themes: 

Superheroes; Coming of age; Leadership; Kidnap and rescue; Aliens; Friendship and rivalry; Terrorism; Secrets.

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