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Visit to the Houses of
Parliament
On
Tuesday May 2nd 2006, the members of Great Yarmouth Haven Rotary Club had an away day
when a few, a happy few, a band of brothers (and sisters) left the shores of
Great Yarmouth and invaded the gentry of our capital in London with a trip to
the Palace of Westminster. A
conducted tour of both Houses of Parliament ( The House of Commons and The
House of Lords ) was conducive to the entertaining pastime of “spotting the
well-known faces”. Later, members and guests congregated on the terrace for
pre-luncheon drinks before dining in the members’ dining room. The unanimous
feeling was that it was one of our more successful ventures.
It
is often remarked that The House of Commons Chamber is much smaller than
visitors expected. Indeed there is seating accommodation (including the side
galleries ) for only 437 of the 659 Members of Parliament, which is why MP's
may be seen standing around the speakers chair during major debates and
statements.
There
is a long history behind our Parliament. The UK parliamentary system- that is
The House of Commons together with The House of Lords and the Sovereign , has
evolved over the last 700 years. For over 900 centuries there has been a a
royal palace at Westminster and the building which the Houses of Parliament
now occupy - the Palace of Westminster - is still designated a royal palace.
The present building was rebuilt ,after a catastrophic fire in 1834 destroyed
most of the ancient buildings.
The
House of Commons Chamber was rebuilt between 1945 and 1950 , following
destruction in the Second World War.
The
London Eye from
Westminster
Front of Houses of Parliament
 Enjoying a
pre lunch
drink
Some found the homeward journey very tiring!
Photography is forbidden within the walls of all the buildings
hence no internal photos.
Photos by Rtn. Alan Spinks
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