No one wants to embarrass themselves on the first day of the job, especially if you’re going to be living above the shop. So while Andy Burnham has doubtless devoted many an hour to manifesting his new position inside Number 10, we thought we’d give him some advice on the more eccentric housekeeping habits associated with his new home. After all, if you want something done well, ask a housekeeper…
You can’t use the letterbox
Why? Because it’s not actually a letterbox at all, it’s a brass plate in disguise. This is a security measure, for which I’m sure he’ll be grateful but might also prove annoying on those nights he’s desperate for a late-night Chinese (where are they going to shove the flyers?).
… or open the door
Not from the outside, in any case. The front door to Number 10 can only be opened from the inside. A security guard is on duty 24/7, watching security cameras and opening the door to visitors and residents on cue. No need to remember your keys then, Andy (in fact, there’s no keyhole at all).
It’s a tardis
Think you’re downsizing and decluttering? Think again. Number 10 is bigger than it looks. Numbers 11 and 12 have been knocked through to connect them to Number 10, so inside is actually a disorientating maze of more than 100 rooms. Don’t get lost on your way to the loo at night.
There’s a fake
Number 10 Adam Street, just off the Strand and only about 800 metres away from Downing Street, is so similar that it’s become a tourist attraction in its own right. The late 18th-century building was constructed just when Downing Street was being renovated and shares its iconic glossy black door half-circle glass window above the frame – and a similar-looking number ‘10’ above the door handle. Potentially both confusing and embarrassing after a long state dinner. So beware, Andy.
It’s haunted. Maybe
In 2013, Downing Street’s facilities manager reported seeing a figure walk past him in the Small Dining Room, accompanied by the sound a taffeta dress rustling. He wasn’t the first. The Lady in White has long been rumoured to stalk the corridors between the State Dining Room and the Pillared Room. A final housekeeping hint, Andy – be polite to the resident poltergeist.
