Parliament and Me

After our Big Ben tower photo-op, a girl in my group talked to some official-looking person, and before I knew it we were on our way inside Westminster Palace (also known as the houses of Parliament). We went down past Oliver Cromwell here...

Hello, Ollie!

...and down through a door where we had to go through a security screening. They gave us little nylon necklaces, snapped a quick picture, and put the tag on the nylon string. It all happened so fast I barely had time to smile. And I have to admit that at this point I still wasn't entirely sure what was going on.

We went through a place labeled VISITOR ENTRANCE that opened up into Westminster Hall.

Wow. According to my handy-dandy tourist brochure,

Westminster Hall was completed in 1099 and designed to host great state occasions and be a place for feasts and entertainment. Work began on Westminster Hall during the reign of William the Conqueror's son, William Rufus, in 1097. The great hall was designed to impress and overawe and is still one of the largest undivided mediaeval spaces in existence.

Well, I was certainly impressed and awed. You would be too.

So at this point I finally realized what was going on--turns out you can go sit in on a debate while Parliament is in session. They walked us up the stairs and through St. Stephen's Hall (where parliamentary debates were first held--it's through a door to the left of the stained-glass window) and then directed us up a winding staircase to the public gallery for the House of Commons (no photography allowed--picture is from this site).

We were just in time for the beginning of a debate, where the government and the opposition tossed witty banter back and forth and made brilliant arguments for the betterment of the United Kingdom and the world at large. I sat riveted to my seat, enthralled by the scene unfolding before my eyes.

Not really.

Actually... I fell asleep. It's my college-induced narcolepsy, okay?? And I can plead jet lag too, can't I?

On our way back out through Westminster Hall we took some time to look at the brass plaques commemorating historical events that took place here. Back to my brochure,

The hall has been used for many things: coronation banquets were held in Westminster Hall from Richard I in 1189 to George IV in 1821. It has housed law courts, coffee shops and ribbon sellers and witnessed some of the most famous trials in British history, including those of Guy Fawkes and King Charles I. It has been flooded, bombed and caught fire but has survived all of these.

The trial of King Charles I. Do you know what this means?? It means John Milton probably walked this hall!! As I've mentioned before, Milton is the man. He was also a regicide who supported the beheading of King Charles I. I was standing on the shoulders of giants today, my friends.

Winston Churchill yet again

Sir Thomas More of Utopia fame. Oh yes--and my shoe.

Look--it's Parliament and me!