Talk:Downing Street

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Public Right of Way[edit]

They put the gates up, but I was sure that if you turn up at one end you can ask to walk down downing street to the other end, subject to being scrutinsed by security and all first, of course. Anyone confirm this? Graldensblud 13:24, 25 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Now answered in the article. In short, "no". Mauls (talk) 20:38, 3 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Gates[edit]

The article says that in 1982 access was restricted with a gate. But I am sure I saw that gate in 1981 already when I visited London for the first time. A police officer told me back then that the access to the street had been limited shortly before. 89.245.104.86 (talk) 21:47, 11 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

From inside[edit]

"only opened from the inside"? If the P.M. goes out, does s/he have to knock to be readmitted? Or is there full-time live-in staff, and the place never left empty?

Or does this mean that the police officer mentioned doesn't have the key? Vicki Rosenzweig, Monday, June 3, 2002

Their was a documentary on the BBC about life in downing street focusing on the press office and it said that their is a security camera focoused on the door, and a monitor inside. So a member of staff watchs and waits for the right moment to open the door. unsigned comment by some randomer
You can be sure the place is never left empty. And the PM doesn't just go wandering off then come back and have to stand around on the step, there are plenty of minders and security people to coordinate when the gates to the street and the door to the house are opened for the PM to get in. 79.64.160.29 (talk) 12:46, 18 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Downing[edit]

I know this is a bit "out-of-left-field" but is there a "Downing" after whom the street is named? -- Someone else 08:14 Feb 24, 2003 (UTC)

It's named after Sir George Downing who was a builder/property speculator who built much of the area sometime in the seventeenth century, if I remember correctly. I'd have to google it to be sure and add it to the article. Pete

You are right, Pete. As to whether there is another Downing St, I don't know of one but the article was worded as to suggest there was. I don't know if it is correct or not. Re Vicki's question above, there is someone inside and outside, with security cameras to unlock the door when a recognised person enters. Or else the Police Constable outside knocks on the door. The lack of an opening from the outside is for security purposes, in case someone pulled a gun on the policeman and demanded admittance. (Not that that is likely with the gates and unlike the US, the UK is not awash with guns. JTD 18:42 Feb 24, 2003 (UTC)

Other Downing Streets[edit]

There are at least 18 other Downing Streets in the UK

If and when they get an article (and I doubt they need one) we can disambiguate in the usual way. Pete/Pcb21 (talk) 00:02, 6 Mar 2004 (UTC)
I know of one in Llanelli - for some reason, the occupant of number 11 on that street, but none of the other 11 Downing Streets, seems to get an awful lost of misdirected post aimed for Gordon Brown. Even after he complained to the regulator (OFCOM?). Of course, being considered Crown property, you can't take any legal action against Roayl Mail. Chris 23:46, 24 Mar 2005 (UTC)

I know there is one in Cambridge RobloxFanEditor (talk) 11:11, 12 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]

PM note[edit]

I have removed the following text:

"The title of Prime Minister was created during the Kingdom of Great Britain, which had been formed when the Kingdoms of England and Scotland merged in 1707. In 1801, the Kingdom of Great Britain merged with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. When the Irish Free State left the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1921, it adopted a new name to describe its new territory, namely the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As a result, the state over which a Prime Minister's Cabinet ruled, and so the formal designation in the Prime Minister's title, has undergone constant change."

Not only is it irrelevant to the current article, it is factually incorrect - the title of Prime Minister was not created during the Kingdom of Great Britain; it only received semi-official recognition in 1905, when it was added to the Order of Precedence, and its actual status is still relatively ambiguous even today - eg Tony Blair receives a salary as First Lord of the Treasury, not as Prime Minister. Also, the UK being a Constituational Monarchy, it is incorrect to say that the Cabinet "rules" - rather, as the name suggests, it governs.--The Thieving Gypsy 21:42, 20 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I agree and so I have removed it again --Henrygb 09:51, 17 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Location[edit]

I have changed the location details, as Downing street is nowhere near Buckingham Palace grounds (indeed later in the article in the history dialogue it clearly states "In the service of the King he was rewarded with the plot of land adjoining St. James's Park". - Changed to reflect location bordering Horseguard's and St James's.

The most famous address in Downing Street is 10 Downing Street?[edit]

Is it the most famous address in London? I would think that it could be argued that either Buckingham Palace or Number One, London could be considered either more famous or as famous. Some might argue for Abbey Road! --jmb 17:50, 31 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Chief Whip[edit]

Can any one tell me if the Government Chief Whip Rt Hon Jacqui Smith actually lives in Downing Street as there is never any mention of her staying there but it mentions on different websites that she has an official residence and office there. Robert Lowry, 06:30, 4 August 2005

And what does it mean to say that "9 Downing Street was named in 2001"? Rojomoke (talk) 15:17, 28 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Leaving office[edit]

"The tradition is that when the Prime Minister leaves office, and thus leaves number 10 as PM for the last time, he does so by the back door."

Tony Blair left by the front door today and I'm positive John Major did the same back in 1997. Is this just not carried out any more? --Sonic Mew 17:48, 27 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm pretty certain Maggie Thatcher left via the front door as well... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.47.68.137 (talk) 10:14, 4 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Grammatical error[edit]

"The Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Chief Whip all officially live in houses on one side of the street." Surely the houses are the official residences, it is impossible, or at least incorrect to "officially live" Any thoughts? 77.96.103.131 17:51, 29 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Other houses[edit]

What happened to the other houses on downing street? Waacstats (talk) 12:51, 4 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Gordon Brown as PM[edit]

So Tony Blair lived in #11 whilst PM and Brown in #10. Now that Brown is PM as also has a family does he remain in #10 or has he done swapsy over to #11? 92.232.36.159 (talk) 15:52, 11 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Granada Studios Downing Street Set[edit]

I recall from the Granada Studios Tour tour in Manchester in the early 90s that they had a permanent set built resembling downing street which i imagine would have been used for the filming of the likes of dead ringers style satire or anything else that required the use of downing street. You can read more in the granada studios article

I wonder if this is relevant to the article, the studios also had a mock up of the house of commons, and this is mentioned in that article so surely this can be mentioned here. The House of commons article mentions that the writer paul abbot has that set in storage as they were to remove and destroy it. I don't know if the downing street set was to be destroyed in a similar circumstance.--81.23.56.12 (talk) 18:34, 30 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Date of change from No. 5 to No. 10[edit]

This page claims that No. 5 became No. 10 in 1787 on the basis of ref 6, while the Downing Street website states it was 1779 (see http://www.number10.gov.uk/history-and-tour/history-of-the-building/downings-street). Can anyone clarify? -- Roonwit (talk) 07:11, 20 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Downing Street Mortar Attack[edit]

Curious as to why the 1991 IRA attack is not mentioned at any point in the article, it is quite possibly the closest anyone has come to wiping out the entire Cabinet and very important in the history of the street 82.2.220.163 (talk) 14:21, 15 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Cardinal directions[edit]

It was impossible to make sense of this article's descriptions as regards several of the cardinal directions stated. Downing Street was claimed to be built on land to the south of St.James's Park; but to the south of the Park is a different district entirely - Queen Anne's Gate, whilst Downing Street is to the east. Houses on the west side of the street were said to have been demolished, but the street has no west side: only a north and a south side. And so on. Reference to any map verifies these points. I have edited the article in four places to make the text align with the true geography of the street. Micjawber (talk) 20:24, 19 February 2014 (UTC)[reply]

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