Our elected masters are often accused of talking out of their bums, and indeed, often talk about bums when debating sexual offenses — but it seems that the official record of their debates, at Hansard can often mistakes arms for bums.
When railways, or any large hole for that matter, is dug underground, it can often leave telltale marks on the surface.
For reasons which I am still unable to determine, there will be a World War 2 era plane flying over Parliament on Wednesday evening.
Had you been in Westminster at 4am this morning, a most unusual sight would have greeted you. Not the occasional night bus, delivery truck or worker, but the whole area was sealed off and given over to the military.
Parliament has commissioned an artist, Mary Branson as its official “Suffragette Artist-in-Residence” to develop a permanent work of art to commemorate the women’s suffrage campaign.
Fancy holding a reception inside the Houses of Parliament? Until recently only possible with the permission of an MP, the building is now being hired out for corporate events, or weddings.
If, or when the High Speed 2 railway is constructed, it will require roughly 6,000 dead goats.
It may seem like an ancient tradition, but the idea of today being a holiday is comparatively new — in fact it is just 40 years old. Today marks the 40th anniversary of the first Bank Holiday for New Year’s Day.
Exactly 700 years ago, King Edward I banned the wearing of armour or the carrying of weapons into Parliament. That law still exists today, and has never been amended or modified.
Westminster Abbey, that mighty bastion of religion has an alien invader amongst its midst, a couple of buildings that were nominally religious, but have spent the past 800 years performing more secular duties.
Something political from my collection of the Illustrated London News – this time January 28th 1860 during the ongoing construction of the new Parliament.
Last night, as anyone who subscribes to my weekly newsletter would have known, a firework display took place by the Millbank Tower in Westminster. Not knowing if this would be a tiddly display on a barge, or a gigantic display…
With the news that the Clock Tower at the Palace of Westminster is to be renamed Elizabeth Tower, comes the usual speculation about how the huge bell within got its nickname of Big Ben.
If you saw any of the Queenly speech at Parliament the other day, you might have noticed that it took place in the awesome venue of Westminster Hall. This grand space although used for functions, spends most of its life…
Over the weekend, the sort of story that has newspaper editors salivating cropped up – that Big Ben is leaning to one side and that the angle is now noticeable to the naked eye. Obviously, the first caveat is that…
Today marks the 700th anniversary of the meeting of Parliament that resulted in the presentation of the Ordinances of 1311 to King Edward II, and the eventual banishment of Piers Gaveston from the realm. Piers Gaveston – the favourite, and…
Much has been written and watched about yesterday’s incident in Portcullis House when a self-described comedian and now ex-member of the Labour Party and UK Uncut decided to divert the entire media attention away from what was being said by…
As noted elsewhere, there are plans to make the grassy protest site of Parliament Square considerably more convenient for protesters tourists to access by means of putting a pedestrian crossing in place. Currently – as I have often done –…
Not sure how long they have been doing these, as I haven’t seen it before, but it turns out that there now are twice monthly tours of the new Parliament Building, Portcullis House. To be fair, I don’t look at…
I have again today come across the famous saying that “Westminster is the Mother of all Parliaments”, and indeed, the “Westminster System” of politics does operate in many countries. However, the claim that Westminster is the Mother of all Parliaments,…
The turkey is cooking, the smell drifts around the single room you call a home for your entire family. Small sprigs of holly and ivy, rosemary and bays decorate the room. Suddenly, there is a knock at the door. Afraid,…
As part of the Open House London weekend, one of my pre-booked tours included a visit to the newish Supreme Court building in Westminster. Not the first time I have been in the building, as I have been in once…
Just down the road from the Houses of Parliament is the 1960s tower block, the Millbank Tower. Famous for its uncompromising brutal aesthetic in an area dominated by classical stone buildings and for hosting the Labour Party for a few…
As part of a UK-wide Discovering Places event, Parliament is leading short tours, showing familiar yet unexpected aspects of its buildings and works of art. Although most of the tour options are ones that anyone who goes in to the…
