Saroja and I had seen this building from outside many times, during our visits to London. I had always had a strong desire to see the building from inside. We had seen Indian Parliament, way back in 1978, courtesy to Mr and Mrs Ratna, when we visited Delhi. I expressed my desire to Sundar, who then contacted his local MP and made the arrangement. The entry pass was sent by post one week before the scheduled visit on 10th September.
On 10 September, all of us excluding Aadit, (as he could not miss his school), reached Westminster by underground train. We started our visit at Portcullis(which is the official symbol of Parliament) House. As we entered Portcullis house we were faced with a lot of policemen with large guns. Passing through the airport style security checks, our photos were taken and we were issued with name badges, and we were allowed into the building and taken through an underground passageway into the Palace of Westminster itself.
Westminster Hall
As we emerged from the tunnel, we found ourselves in the ancient and very chilly Westminster Hall. The age of this hall overwhelms you; built in 1099, it has a beautiful wooden hammer-beam roof (the largest medieval roof in northern Europe). The size of this hall takes your breath away. This is where the old parliament used to function up to the end of 17th century. The hall has been used for many things: coronation, banquets etc. Her majesty, the Queen, addresses both the houses. Many of these events are commemorated on brass plates set on the floor. When members of the Royal family die, their bodies lie in state here, the most recent being Queen mother’s. The only non royal member to lie in state was Winston Churchill. Most recently the Pope on his state visit addressed the public from here.
Here we met our entertaining and informative guide for the tour.
Stephen Hall
Initially this was a chapel where the royals worshipped when they stayed in the palace. From 1550, this Hall has been used as a debating chamber for the House of Commons. This Hall is also famous because, King Charles I attempted to arrest MPs in the 17th century,which triggered the civil war between Parliament and the Crown. For this very reason, till this day, the Queen and members of Royal family including their aides are forbidden to enter House of Commons. The doors of the House of Commons are closed when royalty is present in the building.
Central Lobby
Moving out of Westminster Hall into the Central Lobby, the sense of history really hits you. This lobby is often seen on the news, a place where reporters interview MPs. It is a meeting place for Members of both Houses and also a place where MPs can meet their constituents. We were told that public could meet their MPs here without appointment and the MPs if they are in, should not refuse to see the public (to maintain the tradition,--‘ of the people, by the people, for the people’) Once again, the beauty of the structure takes your breath away. The room itself is an octagon shaped with beautiful tiled floor and on the walls scenes from history painted on the wall. We could see a painting of the ancient East India Company also here. The ceiling had mosaic paintings of 4 saints that represent the four parts of the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland).
In the corner of the lobby is an incredibly old post office; with iron grills and looking as if it has been transplanted directly from a Victorian street, and we were told that this is for employees only. There are 1500 rooms, 3 banks and many restaurants and a salon here inside the parliament.
The House of Lords
We were taken down the south corridor to the splendour of the House of Lords, the most lavish and opulent room in the Palace. The chairs were made of red luxurious leather seats, the ceilings were gilt panelled and the windows had beautiful stain glass –and this grandeur was overshadowed by the ornate gilded Royal Thrones for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh and also golden seating’s for other members of the Royal family. We were not allowed to go fully into the Lords, but could see from the entrance, while our guide reminded us that the Queen only sits on the throne once a year, and named some famous Lords (Sir Alan Sugar,Lord Mandelson etc) who currently sit in the House and most of they are experts in their field.
The Members Lobby
Walking back through the central lobby into the north side of the building, we found ourselves standing in the members lobby. Here MPs pick up messages and business papers and congregate during the sittings of the House before and after business in the Chamber. I was very aware of standing in the footsteps of some of the most famous politicians in history as I looked at the MPs pigeon holes and message boards. Full size statues of Churchill, Lloyd George, Atlee and Thatcher loom hugely on pillars around the room. Each of them has their place due to the mark they made on history; Churchill in the war, Atlee for social reform (National Health Service), Thatcher for being the first woman Prime Minister. Churchill's foot is worn away by the tradition of MPs touching it for luck as they enter the House.
In this room, we could see for the first time signs of the bombing during WW2 that devastated the House of Commons. The chipped and broken arch leading into the chamber is known as the Churchill arch, as it was Winston Churchill who suggested that it was rebuilt from the rubble as a reminder of the sadness of war. Many wooden doors weighing tons were donated by the Indian government.
House of Commons
Initially I was taken back by the simplicity of the House of Commons after the breathtaking beauty of the Lords. Rebuilt after the Blitz (WW2), has a rather functional and austere style, with its famous green benches, and wooden panelling. As we moved further in however, I was struck with an immense sense of history. We walked along the front benches and I briefly stood in front of the dispatch boxes, amazed at the thought of the great men and women who had stood on that exact same spot. Our guide entertained us with stories and scandals. As we looked at the red lines that ran along the carpet in front of the front benches, he explained that they were exactly the width of two swords apart, so that opposing sides could never attack each other, as they were never allowed to cross the line. There is central big table and on that a casket is placed where all the religious books are kept for swearing in, and this we were told was a present from Government of Canada.
The Commons affected me just as strongly as the Lords; although it did not have the breathtaking architecture, the strong sense of history and occasion made up for it.
Division Lobbies
The division lobbies were a fascinating part of the visit. Two of these long, book-lined corridors run along each side of the House, and they are where the voting takes place. Our guide explained that one side is for Ayes (YES) and the other for Noes (NOS); as the speaker calls for a vote, those voting Aye (Yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting No through the lobby to the left. At the same time a bell starts ringing all through parliament, in the hairdressers, in the meeting rooms, and in several pubs in Whitehall. The bells rings for eight minutes, and MPs must come running to vote, since the door keepers shut the doors firmly in their faces once the bell stops ringing. The whips stand at the entrances, pointing the MPs in the right direction so that they vote with their parties.
I loved this detail. I was told that Tony Blair tried to change the voting system to an electronic system but his attempt to modernise failed.
We were taken down the south corridor to the splendour of the House of Lords, the most lavish and opulent room in the Palace. The chairs were made of red luxurious leather seats, the ceilings were gilt panelled and the windows had beautiful stain glass –and this grandeur was overshadowed by the ornate gilded Royal Thrones for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh and also golden seating’s for other members of the Royal family. We were not allowed to go fully into the Lords, but could see from the entrance, while our guide reminded us that the Queen only sits on the throne once a year, and named some famous Lords (Sir Alan Sugar,Lord Mandelson etc) who currently sit in the House and most of they are experts in their field.
The Members Lobby
Walking back through the central lobby into the north side of the building, we found ourselves standing in the members lobby. Here MPs pick up messages and business papers and congregate during the sittings of the House before and after business in the Chamber. I was very aware of standing in the footsteps of some of the most famous politicians in history as I looked at the MPs pigeon holes and message boards. Full size statues of Churchill, Lloyd George, Atlee and Thatcher loom hugely on pillars around the room. Each of them has their place due to the mark they made on history; Churchill in the war, Atlee for social reform (National Health Service), Thatcher for being the first woman Prime Minister. Churchill's foot is worn away by the tradition of MPs touching it for luck as they enter the House.
In this room, we could see for the first time signs of the bombing during WW2 that devastated the House of Commons. The chipped and broken arch leading into the chamber is known as the Churchill arch, as it was Winston Churchill who suggested that it was rebuilt from the rubble as a reminder of the sadness of war. Many wooden doors weighing tons were donated by the Indian government.
House of Commons
Initially I was taken back by the simplicity of the House of Commons after the breathtaking beauty of the Lords. Rebuilt after the Blitz (WW2), has a rather functional and austere style, with its famous green benches, and wooden panelling. As we moved further in however, I was struck with an immense sense of history. We walked along the front benches and I briefly stood in front of the dispatch boxes, amazed at the thought of the great men and women who had stood on that exact same spot. Our guide entertained us with stories and scandals. As we looked at the red lines that ran along the carpet in front of the front benches, he explained that they were exactly the width of two swords apart, so that opposing sides could never attack each other, as they were never allowed to cross the line. There is central big table and on that a casket is placed where all the religious books are kept for swearing in, and this we were told was a present from Government of Canada.
The Commons affected me just as strongly as the Lords; although it did not have the breathtaking architecture, the strong sense of history and occasion made up for it.
Division Lobbies
The division lobbies were a fascinating part of the visit. Two of these long, book-lined corridors run along each side of the House, and they are where the voting takes place. Our guide explained that one side is for Ayes (YES) and the other for Noes (NOS); as the speaker calls for a vote, those voting Aye (Yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting No through the lobby to the left. At the same time a bell starts ringing all through parliament, in the hairdressers, in the meeting rooms, and in several pubs in Whitehall. The bells rings for eight minutes, and MPs must come running to vote, since the door keepers shut the doors firmly in their faces once the bell stops ringing. The whips stand at the entrances, pointing the MPs in the right direction so that they vote with their parties.
I loved this detail. I was told that Tony Blair tried to change the voting system to an electronic system but his attempt to modernise failed.
The journey of English Parliament started with the signing of Magna Carta charter (in 1215), which laid the foundation for representative government by the public. The Magna Carta process moved the world one step closer to the types of governments that are seen today. This building had seen evolution of democracy through the centuries(900 years) and every nook and corner has history to speak of.
The whole visit was well managed and totally fascinating, and I was sorry that it had come to an end. The trip was very special and a very informative.
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