There’s a lot to be said about doors. They’re crucially important to our everyday lives; they keep things in, and they keep things out; they keep us warm; and they provide physical transitions from one place to another. In the arts, doors are grandiose metaphors; to close a door is to leave something behind; to open one is to embrace the new. But despite all this, one might think that doors are a bit of a dull subject.
Well, this article’s here to prove you long, because we’re going to be looking at some of the Britain’s most interesting, and most important, doors! Let’s see if you’ve changed your mind by the end!
10 Downing Street
That iconic, black door with a white number “10” at the top-centre is the focal point of the nation whenever anything important occurs. Whether it’s declarations of war and peace, the chancellor discussing the budget, or the swearing-in and bowings-out of Prime Ministers, the public eye is always on the front door of 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister’s official office and residence, as it opens and closes in time with the way in which Britain is run.
The Door to the House of Commons
Another one on the subject of what goes on at the top of the British political ladder is the Door to the House of Commons. Every year at the State Opening of Parliament, the Queen’s man, the Blackrod, will arrive; he’ll knock on the door with his eponymous… well… black rod, and demand that the Government attend an audience with the Queen.
When the doors to Parliament open to grand the Blackrod entry, it symbolises a vast history of shared power between Parliament and the Crown, a partnership that has made Britain into what it is today.
221b Baker Street
221b Baker Street is the address of the world’s most famous fictional detective, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Of course, since the character is fictional, 221b Baker Street has never “really” existed. In fact, when the books were being written, Baker Street only ran from numbers 1-85. However, when the street was elongated in the 1930s, Sherlock Holmes fans from around the world demanded that the council of London pay homage to their favourite detective.
Unfortunately, their wishes weren’t granted, or at least, not until 1990, when a museum dedicated to Sherlock Holmes opened, and demanded to be given the address!
Jim Morrison
Poet and singer-songwriter Jim Morrison arguably revolutionised the musical world, giving birth to a sexy and rebellious kind of rock ‘n’ roll which would sow the seeds of what would later become the punk movement. He’s also arguably the first of the stereotypical “rock stars”. Sure there were the Beatles, the Stone and Elvis, but Morrison delivered that flamboyant, controversial “frontman” figure that we’ve seen imitated in all of the greatest bands since.
That’s what makes him one of, if not the most important “Door”. Geddit? Ha ha ok that’s a bit of a cheat.
Article by Arran Garside, lover of words and quirky humour, who often writes for Emerald Doors.
