Freya was reported to be the more dominant cat and more effective mouser, reportedly because her days as a stray had "hardened" her. Le 11 Downing Street (également connu en anglais sous le nom de Number 11) est l'adresse de la résidence officielle du second lord du Trésor du Royaume-Uni, titre qui à l'époque moderne coïncide avec celui de chancelier de l'Échiquier. Later that year, it was revealed that Larry spent more time sleeping than hunting for mice, and shared the company of a female cat, Maisie. Humphrey was exonerated. document.write(""); Nemo used to accompany the Wilsons when they took their annual holiday to the Scilly Isles, off the south-west coast of Cornwall. He was appointed the Office Manager's cat, with a suitable living allowance. In September 2012 it seems that Freya took over the official mousing duties and sidelined Larry, who had not exactly distinguished himself in the mouse-hunting business since his arrival at No. [33], In August 2016, it emerged the Cabinet Office were considering also appointing another Chief Mouser to deal with their mouse problem. He’s been seen getting into scraps with Palmerston for months, with the simmering feud showing no sign of … A short news video by Newsround for the CBBC children's TV channel also covered the story and included brief footage of Humphrey in his heyday. As rumours of snap elections mount in the United Kingdom, No. ! 'He greeted me like an old friend,' said Dempsey, 'and there was no doubt it really was Humphrey.' "Fur flies in the House of Lords as peer asks: 'Who pays for Larry the Cat? It was reported that Cameron objected to cat hair on his suit, and the smell of cat food had to be disguised by air freshener when Downing Street had visitors. 'Margaret Sutcliffe' claimed Larry was in fact 'Jo' who had disappeared a few months previously, and that she 'nearly died' when she saw his photos. Thomas Wintle Share . ), but in fact it seems he was 'retiring from politics for health reasons'. If you'd like to comment please contact me, Downing Street cat gets a helping hand - BBC News - YouTube A Treasury spokesman said that Sybil was 'a confirmed mouser', so clearly she would be taking over the official mousing duties. The Daily Telegraph suggested that Cameron never really liked cats but that spin doctors believed Larry could make the PM appear more friendly. Foreign Secretary, William Hague later asked that the barrier be taken down. Some three months later The Times reported that he was probably dead and published an obituary picture — whereupon the medics realised that their 'stray', known as 'PC' ('Patrol Cat'), was actually Humphrey! ', [ Note: some years later it was revealed that Daily Telegraph political editor, George Jones, fabricated the whole story about Humphrey and the robins, and the cat was never under suspicion. Larry est un chat employé dans la chasse à la souris depuis le 15 février 2011 aux 10 et 11 Downing Street, les résidences du Premier ministre et du chancelier de l'Échiquier britanniques. We haven't been able to find out his real name; apparently he was nicknamed the Munich Mouser, somewhat disrespectfully, by Churchill as he was a … 10, after the latter had 'trespassed' into the grounds of the FCO. [4] However, the story was later revealed to be a hoax, and no such owner nor campaign existed. Former Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg has described an internal Downing Street security door which requires microphone contact for access as being increasingly "not for security, but to keep the cats out from one end of the building to another". Our photo outside 10 Downing Street, taken from undated newsreel footage but probably around the time of the outbreak of war, may show the Mouser, but we're unable to confirm that; another possibility is that it's Nelson, one of Churchill's own cats, who was black and did spend some time at No. document.write(""); They have been named by the Cabinet Office after two political figures, Dame Evelyn Sharp (Evie) and Sir Edward Osmotherly (Ossie). In January 2011 many were speculating whether another official mouser should be engaged by No. Perhaps one day we'll be able to read about 'Humphrey: the Early Years'! Mr Major had taken George to see some baby robins, but when they got to the nest the birds were dead and seemed to have been abandoned by their parents. Larry, 12, declared: “Don’t worry, Britain. However, by September there were rumours that tensions were growing between Prime Minister David Cameron and Larry, with a report that Cameron was fed up with his suit getting covered in cat hair and that the Camerons were said not to like the Downing Street cat very much, amid suggestions that the pet is just a public-relations prop. His life was not without incident, though, and when US President Bill Clinton came to visit, Humphrey apparently narrowly escaped being run over by the two-ton, armoured, presidential Cadillac, which naturally he had decided to investigate. Read Simon's story. Le 10 Downing Street est la résidence officielle et le lieu de travail du Premier ministre du Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d'Irlande du Nord, situé sur Downing Street dans la Cité de Westminster, près des chambres du Parlement, au cœur de Londres.La résidence est officiellement celle du Premier Lord du Trésor, mais ce poste est occupé conjointement à celui … One of the most popular houses in the UK is number 10 downing street. As for being a sleeper, he is definitely a sleeper, I am told very often in my office.'. Hammond replied, 'He is definitely not a mole and I can categorically assure you that he has been regularly vetted. 10 Downing Street has its first cat since Humphrey, Ten years after the Humphrey hoo-ha, a cat returns to Downing Street, Cameron 'appoints' Larry the cat as Downing Street ratter, Larry the cat arrives at Downing Street - in pictures, PM 'Delight' At Cat To Tackle Rat Problem, David Cameron finds a job for an 'urbane killer' in Downing Street, Larry the Downing Street cat feels the long boot of the law, Downing Street cat Larry liked Obama says Cameron, Larry the No 10 cat fails his first test as PM (prime mouser), In pictures: David Cameron's cat - Larry, Chief Mouser of Downing Street, Larry, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, George Osborne Tweets Picture Of Cat Inside Red Budget Briefcase, George Osborne welcomes new resident to Downing St, Chancellor George Osborne's cat Freya hit by car, The nine lives of Freya, the Chancellor’s cat, George Osborne's family cat Freya sent away from Downing Street to Kent, Larry the cat escapes Downing Street eviction, Larry the cat will not be evicted from No 10, Cabinet Office confirms, Claws out in Whitehall as Larry the cat takes on Palmerston, his Foreign Office rival, New cats Evie and Ossi8e join Westminster moggies as Cabinet Office mousers, Mew-turn by Cabinet Office as government gets two new cats. Referring to the photocall shortly after the 1997 election he wrote, 'There have been ugly rumours that the Blairs want him reshuffled, but yesterday's papers are full of pictures of Humphrey with Cherie assuring the world that he is safe in her hands.' Within a month of his arrival at Downing Street, anonymous sources described Larry as having "a distinct lack of killer instinct."[36]. 10 — and his wife Sarah confirmed via a spokesman that they were happy to have Sybil around and she would be free to wander at will over the whole premises. There was speculation that perhaps Freya had been recruited to spy — had perhaps even been bugged, by a foreign power. [32] Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen, the government's spokesman in the Lords, said: "The costs were met by staff through voluntary staff donations due to their affection for Larry. At the time it was said he'd be able to access almost all parts of Nos. Fans | David Cameron revealed that Larry was 'a bit nervous' around most men, but had 'liked Obama'. A cat called the Munich Mouser is mentioned as being 'in office' under Neville Chamberlain and was resident in Downing Street when Winston Churchill moved in as prime minister in May 1940; we think this cat died during 1943. //END --> 10 Downing Street: Take a rare glimpse inside the Prime Minister's home. [21], In August 2016, Sir Alistair Graham, former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, responded to controversy over favouritism in Cameron's Dissolution Honours List by joking that he was "surprised Larry the cat didn't get one". "Give him a kick from me," she said. This was far from the first time the feline had gone a-wandering; apparently it was quite usual for her to visit Westminster's 'Red Lion' pub in the evening, in spite of having to cross four lanes of busy traffic to get there, and she would be brought home by one of the barmaids. [15] In February 2013, a cat-proof barrier was erected to prevent Larry and his neighbour Freya from getting into the Foreign Office, after complaints from staff members with allergies. 10. The policeman on security duty at the front door of Number 10 had instructions to ring the bell for Wilberforce whenever he wanted to enter (right). Philately | By July 2016, when Theresa May became prime minister, he had developed a reputation of being "violent" in his interactions with other local mousers, especially the Foreign Office's much younger cat Palmerston.[1]. [11], In July 2015, George Osborne and Cabinet Office Minister Matt Hancock cornered a mouse in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's office, trapping it in a brown paper sandwich bag. Despite the seemingly effective attack, the pigeon managed to fly off apparently unharmed after the brief scuffle. After some years of living in retirement, perhaps dreaming of the days when he was on familiar terms with the rich and powerful, it was reported on 20 March 2006 that Humphrey had died in his sleep the previous week. Larry the Downing Street cat attempts to catch a pigeon outside Number 10 in London. 10 Downing Street Cat Marks Adoption Anniversary. His new owners were not identified, neither was the location; but they said he was happy, had put on weight, and that they had had no trouble with puddles. Margaret Thatcher is reputed to have bought him a tin of sardines in Moscow when she was visiting a supermarket there. Grace Sydney Last updated on February 3, 2020. In December 2013 Freya had to begin getting used to sharing her home with the Osbornes' new canine acquisition, Lola, a Bichon Frise puppy. Downing Street was visited and filmed in June 2012, and by chance No 10's cat-in-residence was snoozing outside the door at the time (above right). Many years later the Blair/Humphrey rumours appeared to be confirmed by former Labour MP Chris Mullin when a volume of his diaries was published in 2011. [7] Fund-raising events to pay for his food are believed to have included a quiz night for Downing Street staff held in the state rooms. Banham at the Treasury authorised the Office Keeper "to spend 1d a day from petty cashtowards the mainte… Freya went missing from the Osbornes' house in Notting Hill when she was just a few months old, and after searching West London for her, the family assumed she had died or had become lost. document.write("?subject=Downing Street Cats\">"); He made great friends with the staff, who keep him supplied with his needs; and he can be tracked with an app which means that people can check on their phone at any time to see where he is! Or to be more precise, his neighbour’s cat. Ces résidences officielles ont une longue tradition de posséder un chat portant le titre de Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office (« Souricier en chef du Cabinet »)1. And he appeared on the 1996 and 1997 Cabinet Office Christmas cards! Featuring | It says he is "contemplating a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house" and has told Downing Street that such a solution is still in the "tactical planning stage". Larry    [14] As of January 2021, Larry has retained his position with the Boris Johnson administration. The crunch came when Mr Cameron reportedly found Larry asleep on his chair in his study, while a mouse ran across the room. During June 2012 it was announced that Freya¸ a handsome tabby with superb whiskers, had been found after three years and was taking up residence again with George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and his family, who also currently live in Downing Street. Downing Street put up a short video at YouTube. When he became prime minister in 1964 Harold Wilson took the family cat — a male sealpoint Siamese called Nemo — with him to Downing Street. Mr Hammond has had to endure the indignity of being forced to keep his dogs locked away in his official No. Larry the rescue cat lives at 10 Downing Street, and although he doesn’t do much in the way of policy, he has become the furry face of a more relatable U.K. government. So Freya has retired to a home in the Kent countryside with a kind member of staff, and her former family will receive regular updates. In September 2012, Freya … Apart, that is, from a slight slip when things became a little too overwhelming, and he scratched a reporter as he struggled free from her arms when she picked him up for a one-to-one 'interview'! The Camerons were said not to like Larry, amid suggestions that the pet was a public relations prop. Sybil was apparently named after Basil Fawlty's wife in the celebrated BBC television series, Fawlty Towers, but (unlike the probable reaction of her namesake) Sybil the cat seemed slightly unnerved by the press call. On the one-year anniversary of his adoption, Battersea Dogs and Cats … Fragments | Patrick Roberts Downing Street staff are said to be very fond of him. Perhaps, like all other groups who have suffered from Labour's broken promises, he didn't get the loving attention he was promised in May from the new occupants of Number 10; Feline Fragments Images and content (whether original or used at Purr 'n' Fur with permission) may NOT be reproduced In June 2012, Osborne's wife received a call telling her that Freya was alive, and the family brought her home. Photo of Wilberforce above right courtesy of Dave Webster at Flickr where it can be seen full-sized. Par métonymie, le 10 Downing Street sert parfois à désigner le Premier ministre ou son administration. She was said to have settled in happily and to be getting on well with her family, the staff and Larry. There's a story that when he began to decline in his latter years, becoming thin and rather languid, the Secretary to the Treasury submitted a claim to the Lords of the Treasury that Bill's food allowance was insufficient owing to a sharp rise in the cost of living, and should be increased by at least fifty per cent. He was said to spend too much time either sleeping or visiting his 'girl friend', a cat called Maisie, in St James's Park! but please allow all images to load before doing so, or some may not display It seems she did not settle well in Downing Street, and so after about 6 months was taken to live with friends of Mr Darling's who lived in a quieter neighbourhood. Early indications were that Larry showed every sign of being able to adjust to his new surroundings and situation; indeed, a No. Folios | E ven though he may have a new owner soon, Larry the cat is definitely staying in Number 10.. The Prime Minister's office regularly employs helpful felines, and has since the 1500s, but only Larry and one other cat, Humphrey, have been officially titled "Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." It's to be hoped the rivals will come to an agreement and sort out their territorial claims, as cats usually do. ", On 1 August 2016, according to the political photographer Steve Beck, Larry had his "most brutal fight yet" with Palmerston on the steps of Number 10. 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