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START OF EMPLOYMENT Humphrey was found as a stray by a Cabinet Office Civil Servant and named in honour of Sir Humphrey Appleby , the archetypal civil servant of '' Yes, Minister ''. After the death of the previous mouser, Wilberforce , in 1988 the Cabinet Office and Number 10 were in need of a replacement and so Humphrey began his work. At a cost of around £ 100 a year (paid for from the Cabinet Office's budget), most of which went toward food, Humphrey was said to be of considerably better value than the Cabinet's professional Pest Control ler, who charged £4,000 a year and is reported to have never caught a single mouse. Frequently pictured posing by the famous Number 10 front door, Humphrey's primary duties involved catching Mice and Rat s in the maze of Downing Street buildings. The poor quality of the buildings, some of which date back to the 18th Century , and the nearby St. James's Park ensure a continuous vermin problem. By the time of his retirement, Humphrey had risen to the position of Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. HUMPHREY'S PROBLEMS In November 1993, an internal memo was circulated in the Cabinet Office, informing staff that Humphrey was suffering from a minor Kidney complaint and had been put on a special diet. A ban on feeding him treats was instituted. Humphrey was accused on 7 June 1994 , of having killed four Robin chicks, which were nesting in a window box outside the office of John Major, the then Prime Minister . However, Major exonerated him the next day, declaring, "I am afraid Humphrey has been falsely accused." Files obtained by the '' Daily Telegraph '' refer to the allegation as "libellous" and "completely unfounded". In June 1995, Humphrey went missing. On 25 September 1995 , the Prime Minister's press office announced his presumed death. The publicity led to his rediscovery in the nearby Royal Army Medical College , where he had been taken in as a presumed stray and named 'PC', short for 'Patrol Car'. Upon his return, a civil servant issued a statement, supposedly written by Humphrey, to the press: "I have had a wonderful holiday at the Royal Army Medical College, but it is nice to be back and I am looking forward to the new parliamentary session." HUMPHREY AND THE BLAIRS Within a week of '' ( 6 May 1997 ). However, a spokesperson insisted that Humphrey would not be moving out, stating that Number 10 "is Humphrey's home and, as far as the Blairs are concerned, it will remain his home". A photo of Humphrey and Mrs. Blair was released, though this did little to allay fears that he would be forced out. The photo was used on the cover of Private Eye with Humphrey stating 'I am going to hit the mouse running' a paraphrase of a New Labour-ism. In November 1997, Humphrey's primary carer, Jonathan Rees, who worked in the Prime Minister's Policy Unit, wrote a memo stating that the cat should retire to "stable home environment where he can be looked after properly". While his continuing kidney problems were given as the reason for his retirement, many believed that Mrs. Blair was behind the decision. RUMOURS OF MURDER Humphrey was moved to his new home with an elderly couple in suburban ( 15 November 1997 ). The Conservatives were quick to point out that Humphrey lived happily at Number 10 for almost eight years under a Tory government but moved out within six months of Labour taking power. Conservative '', 24 November 1997 . The Prime Minister's office insisted that veterinary advice was behind the decision to remove Humphrey from Downing Street, and on '', ( 25 November 1997 ) IN RETIREMENT Little was heard about Humphrey over the next few years, leading many to assume that he had died. '''', 22 July 2005 No further details were given in the text, which was part of a larger feature about Celebrity Pet s. In March 2006, a , 20 March 2006 . REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS |
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