The Paviors’ Liverymen’s Committee arranged a tour of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and lunch. As a General Election had been called, Parliament was not sitting.
Approximately 30 Paviors and guests met at the Jubilee Café in the Palace of Westminster for morning tea. We then visited Westminster Hall, with its hammer-beam roof. This is where the late Queen lay in state for four. A Guide took us to the Central Lobby, an octagonal space in the centre of the Palace with the Commons chamber to the north and the Lords’ chamber to the south.
In the lobby, we saw the bronze statue of Margaret Thatcher. At the unveiling in 2007, we were told that Mrs Thatcher had said she may have preferred the statue to be in iron!
Mrs Thatcher’s statue is opposite a statue of Winston Churchill. MPs touch one foot of this statue and that of Lloyd George for luck when entering and leaving the Chamber.
We visited the House of Commons and were informed that, as a gesture of respect to the House, Members of Parliament always bow to the Speaker’s Chair, when they enter the Chamber. In 1642, Charles I was the first and last monarchto cross the bar of the House whilst the Commons was sitting.
We visited the House of Lords and learned that 26 seats are automatically awarded to Church of England archbishops and bishops and that the seat of the Lord Speaker is called ‘The Woolsack’.
The tour continued through the Palace to the Attlee Room and Reid Room for a small plate lunch, followed by coffee and chocolates on a sunny Terrace overlooking the Thames. A short quiz followed, with souvenirs of the Palace as prizes.
It was an enjoyable and inspiring day.
/ Julia Lofthouse