The Top 10: Famous People Who Lived on the Same Street

This list was Alan Robertson’s idea, inspired by Brian Klaas’s tweet (about Handel and Hendrix). He said: “The more disparate the people and time the better. And preferably residential streets.” So Downing Street and various palaces didn’t count.

1. George Frideric Handel and Jimi Hendrix, in Brook Street, London (above): Handel at no 25, 1723-59, and Hendrix in the top floor flat at no 23, 1968-69.

2. Charles Darwin and Thomas De Quincey (the opium-eater), both lived on Lothian Street, Edinburgh, not to be confused with the more major Lothian Road. Nominated by Alan Robertson.

3. WB Yeats and George Bernard Shaw lived on Merrion Square in Dublin – at the same time. “This brilliant cartoon speculates how they managed (according to fable) to walk to each other’s houses and yet miss each other,” said David Mills.

4. Sting, Kate Moss, Jude Law and George Michael. The Grove in Highgate, London, and all at the same time. Nominated by Kate Ferguson. And Victoria Wood and Annie Lennox, added Matthew O’Connor.

5. John Cleese and Jeffrey Archer. “When as a boy John Cleese and his parents moved out of their house in Weston-super-Mare, the next occupants were Jeffrey Archer and his parents,” said James Johns.

6. Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe, next-door neighbours in Hartford, Connecticut. Thanks to Jim Turner.

7. JMW Turner lived in the same house as Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones. “Cheyne Walk is ridiculous – my favourite,” said AJ Bell.

8. Jerome K Jerome and VI Lenin both lived in Tavistock Place, London. Nominated by Adam Donen.

9. William Gladstone and Brian Epstein were born in Rodney Street in Liverpool, at nos 62 and 4 respectively. James Maury, America’s first consul, lived at no 4 from 1790 to 1829. Thanks to Graham Fildes.

10. Tom Baker, Cilla Black and Holly Johnson lived in Scotland Road (“Scottie Road” in local vernacular), Liverpool. Another from Graham Fildes.

Two nominations in the “there’s always one” category. Mark Rogers tried to nominate Bruce Wayne and Batman, both of Mountain Drive, Gotham. And David Lucas offered Jesus and King Arthur in Glastonbury Abbey, “according to some high quality historical research publications”.

Next week: Words you have to look up in the dictionary every single time, such as paradigm

Coming soon: Zombie Statistics, such as people should drink eight glasses of water a day

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk