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Surrey's 10 Downing Street gets sent letters to PM and made Boris T-shirts

Tattoo parlour Over the Moon in Farnham says it isn't afraid to play up to the comparison

El Harper is owner of Over the Moon in Farnham on 10 Downing Street (Image: El Harper)

It may be the UK's most famous address, but for one Surrey tattoo parlour that shares its namesake, being located on 10 Downing Street is just part of everyday life. Over the Moon, which used to be called Ministry of Ink before a name change this week, is located in the historic market town of Farnham.


It's a very different street to the one Liz Truss has recently called her new home with a number of independent shops in the area rather than being just down the road from the Houses of Parliament. Owner El Harper said the similarities had not been lost on customers and they've even received letters meant for the Prime Minister in the past.


"It's good to have the iconic address, we do play up to it a little bit," Mr Harper said. "It helps people find it when they come into their appointments. I've always really liked Farnham, there are a lot of independent businesses on Downing Street which is really nice.


"A lot of people just think it's cool. Some people don't believe us at first and think it's a joke. We had some Boris t-shirts made with 'the real 10 Downing Street' on the back and people really liked them, we really sold out of those. That went quite crazy for a bit online.


"We're not allowed to open them but we do get handwritten letters delivered that are meant to go to the real 10 Downing Street so we have to give them back to the postman. I bet they saw some really interesting things!" he added.

The Number 10, Downing Street in Farnham is Over the Moon tattoo parlour. It was formerly called Ministry of Ink (Image: Grahame Larter)

As for the new Prime Minister, Mr Harper said he didn't know too much about Liz Truss but was hoping to see a quick announcement on how to tackle the cost of living crisis, which is already hurting the business. He says his energy and heating bills have already doubled.


He spoke just minutes before Ms Truss announced a typical household will pay no more than £2,500 a year for energy for the next two years under her plans. She claims it will save an average of £1,000 per year when it comes into force in October.


He added: "I'm excited to see some type of change. We've already got a bill and it's already quite a lot more than I think it should be. Everyone's waiting to see an announcement about energy prices, especially businesses.


"As a country I can't see how people are going to pay double or tripled energy bills. If we had to pay it at the rate they want it may not be viable as a business because there's a lot of other things you have to pay for."

Partygate anger but time to move on: the mood in another Downing Street

Many in Surrey street that shares name with PM's address are still fuming but are more worried about cost of living

Downing Street in Farnham, Surrey. Most people in this safe Tory constituency sounded thoroughly fed up. 

(Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian)

At the end of a long week, the mood in Downing Street is mixed.


Most are angry but want to move on. They don't much like Boris Johnson but the cost of living crisis is what really worries them now.


The views are not of Westminster civil servants or Whitehall insiders but the residents of Farnham in Surrey, whose high street bears the name of the most famous cul-de-sac in Britain.


The person in charge at No 10 in this upmarket thoroughfare is not the prime minister but El Harper, the manager of a tattoo parlour called Ministry of Ink.


Harper, it would be fair to say, is no fan of Johnson, though he has been doing good trade selling T-shirts mocking the PM.


On prominent display in the shop window is a black T-shirt with a tattoo-style illustration of Johnson, featuring his iconic floppy hair and the words "Eton" and "Mess" tattooed on to each of his eyebrows.

El Harper works as a tattooist at No 10 Downing Street in Farnham - and has a sideline in anti-Boris Johnson T-shirts. (Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian)

Harper said these T-shirts had flown off the shelves but admitted nobody had asked for a replica on their body - yet.


Harper does not consider himself party political and has on occasion voted Conservative but he was emphatic that Johnson would never get his backing. He said his distrust of politicians and the media had been exacerbated by Partygate, not least because he spent lockdown completely alone in his flat.


"We couldn't work and people were having parties. Everyone's human and everyone makes mistakes, but he should be held accountable."

Ministry of Ink: Inside the tattoo parlour at 10 Downing Street - in Surrey

Tattoo artist El Harper explains the quirks and pitfalls of operating at such an iconic address in Farnham

El Harper displaying just a few of his own tattoos, eyelids and eyebrows included (Image: Grahame Larter)

When the opportunity arose to open a tattoo shop at 10 Downing Street, there was only one name that would ever suit the business.


Ministry of Ink has been at the iconic address for seven years, but you won't find it in Whitehall, nor will you see TV news crews routinely camped outside using the front door as a backdrop for their reports.


It is, in fact, in Farnham and as far as anyone knows, Boris Johnson has never set foot inside.


El Harper, who has been tattooing for nine years, has been the studio manager since the opening.


The tattoo and piercing studio wasn't always meant to be at this location, originally it was planned to be elsewhere and when those plans fell through, they came across 10 Downing Street.


At the time, there was a call for a tattoo shop to be set up in Farnham and the owners were sold on the location's striking, but very much not unique, address.


From there came the name, and Ministry of Ink came into existence and has since become multi-award winning.


Whilst the address has become the perfect way for people to remember the company, it doesn't come without its downsides.

El Harper works on a tattoo design on a client's ear (Image: Grahame Larter)

El said: "It is a really cool address, though sometimes tattoo suppliers don't think it's real, they're like 'yeah, okay what's the real address?' and we have to convince them it is our actual address."


First time tattoos are becoming more common since lockdown. Ministry of Ink are said to be seeing around two to three first timers a day - recently, they did a first time tattoo on a 76-year-old.


Due to the change in both the amount and type of people paying out for a tattoo, the taboo surrounding them is slowly disappearing.


Trends are becoming increasingly hard to predict due to the internet making the concept of long-term trends phase out and be replaced by more different types of tattoos than ever before. Whilst the fast changes do mean that the artists are faced with many styles, they are finding themselves having to counter some unrealistic expectations of what can be done on the skin.


Despite all of this, at 10 Downing Street in Farnham, roses and skulls still remain the most common request.


The company is easy going when it comes to doing tattoos, however they will refuse to do anything that is discriminatory, offensive, or the artist is uncomfortable doing.


El said: "I'm a big believer in energy, and if you put something already negative onto someone, and you don't really want to do it, then you're also putting negative energy into something that is going to be on that person forever."


On their Instagram, they share 'flash sheets' - these are tattoos the artist has designed and would really like to do and customers, instead of bringing in inspiration photos, will get that design on them.


"The best feeling is when you know that someone wants something which you've done, on them forever, with no changes to it, especially when the original drawing wasn't intended for a tattoo."

A preview image in red before the tattoo is completed in black ink (Image: Grahame Larter)

Ministry of Ink has a range of artists, specialising in everything from animals to a traditional Japanese style; the capabilities of the artists means all styles are catered for.


The studio was redecorated over lockdown, to both become compliant with current restrictions and to make the store look approachable and open. Framed images of previous works act as both inspiration and a showcase of the talent and personalities present at the studio.


Previously, El has had tattoos featured in the 'Tattoo Artists' UK & Ireland Yearbook'. The yearbook features hundreds of images of tattoos with the artist and has five additions across Europe.


The studio is currently working under appointment only to ensure they can continue doing what they do best and that the artists and customers remain safe.