Houses of Parliament (March 2023)
Rickmansworth U3A visited the Houses of Parliament in March, hosted by South West Hertfordshire MP Gagan Mohindra.
The invitation to all our U3A Members was immediately so over-subscribed that we were offered a second tour several weeks later. That too was full.
We met in Westminster Hall, had our photo taken, and saw all the plaques on the floor commemorating famous historical events that took place there, including the lying in state of Queen Elizabeth II and of Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela’s speech and the trial of King Charles I.
Gagan obviously really enjoys the history of the building. Taking time off from his incredibly busy schedule as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, Gagan led the tour, taking us through the surprisingly small debating chambers of both the Lords (red) and the Commons (green), and giving lots of little anecdotes and insights.
He explained, for example, that Members often look as if they are lounging backwards on the green benches when they are really leaning near the loud speakers in the seat backs, trying to hear the speeches above the noise in the Chamber. It was a fascinating and rather an awe-inspiring visit.
You can see a group photograph on this page. It will expand if you click on it.
Andrew Hicks.
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