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Ep. 411: Un anniversario "miao-raviglioso": Larry il gatto celebra 15 anni al numero 10 di Downing Street

Larry the Cat poses for the paparazzi outside Number 10 (AAP)

Larry the Cat in posa davanti al numero 10 di Downing Street, residenza del Primo Ministro inglese. (AAP) Source: AAP / Alberto Pezzali/AP

Larry il gatto ha festeggiato 15 anni nel ruolo di cacciatore di roditori ufficiale del governo britannico e "primo felino" non ufficiale, una presenza rassicurante che ha servito sotto sei primi ministri.


SCARICA la trascrizione col testo a fronte in inglese.

Italiano

Il numero 10 di Downing Street a Londra è la residenza del Primo Ministro britannico.

I suoi inquilini si sono succeduti nel tempo, compreso David Cameron:

"The British people have made a very clear decision to take a different path and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction."

Ma anche Theresa May:

"I will shortly leave the job that it has been the honour of my life to hold - the second female prime minister, but certainly not the last."

Più di recente è stato il turno di Rishi Sunak:

"I will shortly be seeing His Majesty the King to offer my resignation as Prime Minister to the country."

- mentre Keir Starmer è appena arrivato.

"I have just returned from Buckingham Palace where I accepted an invitation from his Majesty the king to form the next government of this great nation."

Ma un inquilino ha appena festeggiato il suo 15° anniversario di residenza: Larry il gatto.

Il fotografo Justin Ng ha raccontato che è arrivato dopo essere stato selezionato dal rifugio per animali Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

"He's just there. It's like he owns the street. That was probably, what? 2011/2012, when he first came in."

Il gatto soriano è stato reclutato dall'allora primo ministro David Cameron per risolvere una crisi causata dai topi in uno degli indirizzi più famosi al mondo.

Da allora è diventato un residente molto amato, non da ultimo dalla stampa accampata fuori dalla famosa porta.

Il sito web del governo afferma che Larry trascorre le sue giornate salutando gli ospiti, ispezionando le difese di sicurezza e testando la qualità dei mobili antichi per i pisolini.

Secondo quanto riferito, Larry è tenuto ben lontano dai gatti della famiglia dell'attuale primo ministro Keir Starmer, JoJo e Prince, che vivono negli alloggi privati della famiglia, mentre Larry gestisce le aree di lavoro di Downing Street.

Ha anche avuto un rapporto instabile con Palmerston, gatto diplomatico di alto rango presso il Ministero degli Esteri dall'altra parte della strada rispetto al numero 10, prima che Palmerston morisse a febbraio alle Bermuda, dove prestava servizio come “consulente per le relazioni feline” del governatore.

Larry è noto per il suo approccio rilassato ai suoi compiti di cacciatore di topi, ma è certamente disponibile per le foto.

"I think it's just that air of anticipation because we just don't know exactly what will happen, but we do know that he's great at photo bombing. So if there's a foreign leader that's about to visit, then we know he'll just come out at the exact moment that that meet and greet is about to happen - and it's happened many, many times."

Un esempio calzante è quello di Donald e Melania Trump.

Larry è riuscito a intrufolarsi nel photocall sulla soglia di casa quando hanno fatto visita all'allora primo ministro Theresa May.

"He was actually on the windowsill when Mrs. May and Mr. May were ready to meet the Trumps and basically sleeping in the window. So a few of us shot a much wider shot of the Mays with the Trumps and with Larry just sleeping by the window, you know, just classic Larry. He doesn't care what's going on and it's just such an important occasion. And then you see he's just there, casual as always.''

Nel complesso, la resilienza e la diligenza di Larry nel suo ruolo gli hanno fatto guadagnare un posto nel cuore della nazione come il gatto preferito della Gran Bretagna e il gatto più famoso di questa celebre strada.

La popolarità degli inquilini umani del numero 10, tuttavia, è molto meno certa.

Keir Starmer è stato recentemente sottoposto a pressioni affinché si dimettesse a seguito di uno scandalo che ha coinvolto la nomina di un ambasciatore statunitense legato al finanziere caduto in disgrazia Jeffrey Epstein.

Eppure, forse come Larry, Starmer si immagina di rimanere lì a lungo.

"I will never walk away from the mandate I was given to change this country. I will not walk away from the people that I am charged with fighting for."

Inglese

Number 10 Downing Street in London is home to the UK Prime Minister.

Its human occupants have come and gone - including David Cameron -

"The British people have made a very clear decision to take a different path and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction."

And Theresa May -

" I will shortly leave the job that it has been the honour of my life to hold - the second female prime minister, but certainly not the last."

In more recent times it's been Rishi Sunak -

"I will shortly be seeing His Majesty the King to offer my resignation as Prime Minister to the country."

- while Keir Starmer has just arrived.

"I have just returned from Buckingham Palace where I accepted an invitation from his Majesty the king to form the next government of this great nation."

But one resident has just reached his 15th anniversary of residence: Larry the Cat.

Photographer Justin Ng says he arrived after being selected from the animal shelter, Battersea Dogs and Cats home.

"He's just there. It's like he owns the street. That was probably, what? 2011/2012, when he first came in."

The tabby cat was recruited by then-Prime Minister David Cameron to solve a rat crisis at one of the world's most famous addresses.

The rescue cat has been a much-loved resident ever since, not least by the press camped outside the famous door.

The government website says Larry spends his days greeting guests, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality.

Larry is reportedly kept well away from the current Prime Minister Keir Starmer's family cats, JoJo and Prince, who inhabit the private family quarters, while Larry rules the working areas of Downing St.

He also had a volatile relationship with Palmerston, diplomatic top cat at the Foreign Office across the street from number 10, before Palmerston died in February in Bermuda, where he was serving as "feline relations consultant" to the governor.

Larry has been known to take a relaxed approach to his mousing duties - but he certainly makes himself available for photo ops.

"I think it's just that air of anticipation because we just don't know exactly what will happen, but we do know that he's great at photo bombing. So if there's a foreign leader that's about to visit, then we know he'll just come out at the exact moment that that meet and greet is about to happen - and it's happened many, many times."

A case in point is Donald and Melania Trump.

Larry managed to sneak into the doorstep photo call when they visited then-Prime Minister Theresa May.

"He was actually on the windowsill when Mrs. May and Mr. May were ready to meet the Trumps and basically sleeping in the window. So a few of us shot a much wider shot of the Mays with the Trumps and with Larry just sleeping by the window, you know, just classic Larry. He doesn't care what's going on and it's just such an important occasion. And then you see he's just there, casual as always.''

All in all, Larry's resilience and diligence in his role has earned him a place in the hearts of the nation as Britain's favourite moggy and top cat of this most famous street.

The popularity of number 10's human occupants however is far less certain.

Keir Starmer has come under pressure in recent times to resign following a scandal involving the appointment of a US ambassador with ties to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

And yet, perhaps like Larry, Mr Starmer fancies himself being a resident for the long haul.

"I will never walk away from the mandate I was given to change this country. I will not walk away from the people that I am charged with fighting for."

Report by SBS News

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