The Obvious Spies

Many ask if the “Circus,” as MI6 has commonly been referred to in books and film, has ever been real slang for the MI6—the UK Secret Intelligence Service—or is it just a invention of John le Carré in his famous Smiley trilogy?

Despite the evocative imagery; the sad truth is MI6 has never actually had its home near Oxford or Cambridge Circus, the story behind le Carré’s naming. At the time his novels were written, the actual HQ was Century House, a modern office block in Lambeth, now converted into an apartment building; which incidentally barely resembles the original drab sixties concrete tower block. Prior to that MI6 was housed for nearly forty years on Broadway—the one near St James’ Park that is...

And just as the CIA is known internally as “The Company,” MI6 is rather unimaginatively nicknamed as “The Firm.” It is also referred to colloquially by other agencies as “The Friends”. Currently the Firm is housed at Vauxhall Cross in London, in an avant-garde building designed by architect Terry Farrell and branded as “Legoland” by those who work there. It is almost impossible to imagine a more conspicuous building along the Thames and it remains a bizarre choice for a secret service who presumably should want to keep a low profile. Or are they hiding in plain sight?

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