Californian Reacts | How Britain Built its Top Secret MI6 HQ 

MI6 is a truly impressive building. If I find the picture I snapped of the building I'll post it. When I was in London I had no idea where it was, other on The River Thames. Was a pleasant surprise to see the MI6 HQ! Favorite Bonds have to be Roger Moore and Sean Connery and grew up with Pierce Brosnan. Favorite Bond film? I have too many I enjoy greatly. What are yours?

Bus drivers when approaching the M16 building, says “spies alight here”

The Langley HQ of the CIA is a place I passed at least weekly on my drive from DC to my then home in Loudoun County. Likewise, Quantico is hardly a secret location, any more than is the FBI's Edgar Hoover Bldg on Pennsylvania Ave. Just as with MI6 at Vauxhall Cross and MI5 at Millbank and GCHQ in Cheltenham, the world's leading intelligence agencies have recognised that hiding in plain sight is the best way to keep secrets secret.

It was in the Bond movie The World Is Not Enough and others when the producers updated 007 from 'Universal Exports' which was in The Strand (?). Each time I pass it I always think of Pierce Brosnan shooting out into the river in his jet boat😀.

It’s got to be Sir Sean Connery as the best Bond ever

It's built right beside the river because of the specialist dolphins mi6 employs as 009 Agents!

My friend worked in Vauxhall many years ago and he rang me once and told me someone had fired a rocket at the building. He told me that the shape of the building makes it difficult for air assault by paratroopers/ helicopters, and apparently the external facing areas/ offices are not used

Here's a snippet. The US embassy is only a stones throw away at Nine Ems, Vauxhall, In 20th Sept 2000, the Real IRA attacked the MI6 building with an RPG only causing slight damage to a couple of tiles and window. No injuries.

Yeah, by this point I think that the building exists is pointless to keep secret. You should look into the story of BT tower in London, which was the tallest building in London from 1964 to 1980 and was designated an designated an official secret. In February 1993, the MP Kate Hoey used the tower as an example of trivial information being kept officially secret, and joked that she hoped parliamentary privilege allowed her to confirm that the tower existed and to state its street address. There was even a revolving resturant at the top for those that knew the address and booked a reservation. The resturant is still there but no-longer revolves, the big billboard is often used during the london new year fireworks as part of the show and it has recently been sold to a hotel chain.

Talking of places that were never acknowledged in London, The Post Office Tower was a great example, especially as it had a revolving restaurant on top !

They got fed up with hiding in plain sight so they have an plain in sight building, and actually label it as such, which does not mean it is, so while everyone assumes this is SIS. They can operate quietly somewhere else outside London

There is a sign near me, it reads "This way to Top Secret WW2 American Air Base". Makes me laugh every time I pass by. My favourite Bond is the original Sean Connery, it's because I'm old.

I would assume they have enough going on from external locations that even if the building was levelled by a missile they could still operate.

It has 4.5 stars on Google Maps. Must be good!

So James Bond didn’t get it blown up then 🤔😂

Favourite James Bond is definately Daniel Craig

I've worked inside that building 🏫, done a bit off computer 🖥️💻 programming with my spectrum 48k

I've been in that building...

Only ever seen three bond films in full, with my sister at the cinema when they came out. Dr. No 1962 From Russia with Love 1963 Goldfinger 1964, all Sean Connery, so Sean the Scotsman who wanted to leave the United Kingdom when he lived in America is my go to Bond. At the time of the referendum, as a joke my circle of friends in England said , the vote to leave is close enough let them leave anyway. I say let have another go every time we have a General election. What calamity could possibly happen. Roger Moore used to live in a quite large house with a balcony outside all the five front facing windows near where I live.

I wouldn't be surprised if the main HQ is underground now adays, We have Nuclear proof bunkers in a few places, and a few of them are huge.

Roger Moore Moonraker

*genius 🧠

Is the most well known secret building😅

Why are you giving out measurements in kilometres? The official measurement is miles!

Roger Moore, live and let die. 🙂

It's so secret it's regularly filmed, has featured in films and TV news reports and documentaries. Everyone knows where it is, so secret service is badly named.

ALL BS! If you can find a MI6 operative in London, he/she is not worth their salt.