The Other Place(s)

Last Friday I got to see inside this building, where they make the sausages, and, wow! do they ever make fancy sausages!

I accompanied our students on a tour of the Houses of Parliament which was led by a staffer who works for a real MP. He was a delightful guide, who taught me more English history and political science in two hours than I'd learned in my whole life to this point.

Now when I watch the BBC Parliament Channel (see the picture at left; and I actually do watch this sometime—it's erudite and entertaining) I know instantly which chamber they're in. Know why? It's the colors! Green leather upholstery is Commons, red is Lords! And when I watch programs like this, I have the extra thrill of knowing that I've actually walked along one of the those rows of seats, since the day we were there Parliament wasn't in session, so we got to walk through each chamber, learning interesting, amazing, quirky, and useful history all the while.

Unfortunately, photos aren't allowed except in Westminster Hall, which is the oldest part of the place and serves as a humongous antechamber, except when someone important (like the Queen, or Bill Clinton) needs to speak to a joint session. Or when someone important needs to lie in state. It's a pretty impressive structure, as you can see in this shot of its medieval ceiling. In order to preserve this beautiful woodwork, they can't heat the Hall, which our guide says is a plus in the summer: since it's a free public space, people enjoy coming in to cool off! It's also a place where some famous protests against the government were held, where Charles I was sentenced to death, etc., etc.


I wish I could have taken notes, since I'm sure I've forgotten lots of choice tidbits of history and protocol that our expert guide presented to us. But I remember that the Queen can't go into the House of Commons, that her officials have to pound on the door to tell the MPs she wants them to come hear her speech, and that they used to pull a curtain around the speaker's chair and have a chamber pot handy since he (and it always was a he) had to stay there during all debates with no potty breaks!

Trivia question: what do you call the House of Lords when you're standing in the House of Commons, and vice versa? Answer: the Other Place. Watch the BBC Parliament Channel and you'll hear this expression all the time. It makes me feel like a Londoner now that I know what the heck they're talking about!