-No. 10 Downing Street, the official residence of British leaders since the 18th Century
Here are five facts about Britain’s most famous address:
1-In 1682, Sir George Downing, a diplomat who used to spy on his friends, built 15-20 terraced houses with poor foundations on the street that now bears his name
2-The building became the official residence of the head of government when Britain’s first prime minister, Robert Walpole, was gifted the property by King George II in the early 1730s
3-Robert Walpole’s official title was First Lord of the Treasury – the official title of all British prime ministers – and to this day the job title is inscribed on the building’s golden letterbox
4-Number 10’s famous black facade was not originally black at all, but yellow. The bricks are now painted black to keep up that recognizable front
5-To deal with the building’s mouse problem, a resident cat now lives there. Larry the cat was given the official title of Chief Mouser in 2011. He is reported to be staying on to serve the new tenant (Boris Johnson).
