(London, England, U.K.)

As I walked south on Whitehall, it came into view.  The British Parliament Buildings (and the “Big Ben” clock face) share some architectural features with Canada’s Parliament Buildings but seem so much bigger because there is much less space around them.   They were so imposing that I didn’t even notice Westminster Abbey less than a block away.

It was about 3:30 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon and I remembered reading that visitors could observe the proceedings in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords (the U.K. equivalent of Canada’s Senate) until about 5:00 p.m. on Thursdays…but not again until the following Monday.  As I was leaving the following Monday, this would be my only chance.

I was skeptical, given the amount of tourists that were in the area.  I had also read that waits of 1-2 hours to observe the proceedings were common.  After some false starts, I finally found what appeared to be the visitors’ entrance.  Much to my surprise, the staff thought that I would probably be able to watch either the House of Commons or the House of Lords right away.

I had to pass through “airport-style security” but within 5 minutes I was climbing the stairs to the visitors’ gallery.   As I entered, I could have sworn that I was in Canada’s House of Commons:  the layout and even the colouring (green) was essentially identical.  The speaker, the mace, the protocol…it was all the same as in Canada.

I watched the debate for about 45 minutes.   The House was not full, as it was only receiving an update from an inquiry that still had a year or two to go.  It appeared that the U.K. was struggling with some issues (institutional child abuse) that Canada has also had to confront recently.

I went back to the Parliament Buildings on Saturday morning for a guided tour.  This time, instead of just seeing the visitors’ gallery in the House of Commons, we were taken to all parts of the House of Lords and the House of Commons and much of Westminster Palace (which is actually the name of the entire complex…the royal family lived on this site many centuries ago).

I’d like to share pictures of the interior of Westminster Palace, but photos are only permitted in two of the halls leading to the respective Houses.  In fact, we were not even permitted to sit down in most of the rooms, as the furniture was considered irreplaceable.  However, as with many things in England, I think it is also a question of tradition.

The main lesson from the tour?  I’d say it is the uneasy relationship between the monarchy and parliament.  The queen is not even supposed to visit the House of Commons:  they literally bar the door when she is at Westminster Palace.   This goes back hundreds of years when the role of the monarchy was the source of much conflict.

Another less weighty but still interesting observation:  a large number of the “official” portraits are completely bogus.  Such portraits were often painted centuries later and/or by someone who had never seen the subject.  Five of Henry the Eighth’s wives have portraits near the House of Lords but it is questionable that any of the portraits bear the slightest resemblance to what the subjects actually looked like.  In some cases, such portraits were art projects for students!

While the tour was interesting, it was still rather expensive for what you get.  I suppose that the massive security presence needs to be paid for somehow.  If you are familiar with the workings of a parliamentary democracy, you may be better served by simply going to one of the visitors’ galleries at an off-peak time.  It’s free and you still get to see a decent amount of Westminster Palace…not to mention the fact that you get to see parliament actually at work.

Coming up: more on London and a very special concert!

(London, England, U.K.)

I hope you’ve enjoyed my concert reports so far. I have one more very special concert report coming up in a few days, but first I want to start reporting on the city itself.

Considering how often I’ve been to Europe, it really is strange that I’ve never been to London before (other than changing planes at Heathrow).   It didn’t take long, however, for me to realize that I had to make up for a lot of lost time.

I’m staying at the Ridgemount Hotel on Gower Street – it’s on the edge of a neighbourhood called Fitzrovia in the western part of London.  There are a number of small hotels here but it is not on the tourist trail.  There’s a large university across the street and the local “downtown” (centred on Goodge Street, Charlotte Street and Tottenham Court Road) is usually filled with locals.

Fitzrovia is perfectly situated for me.   While not touristed (I know, it’s ironic I should say that), it is nonetheless within easy walking distance of a *lot* of interesting things.  I’m only a few blocks north from Oxford Street; it has got to be the biggest shopping street in London.  As soon as I cross Oxford Street, I enter Soho.

Like so many other neighbourhoods that became real to me during my stay in London, Soho used to be just a name.  I had no idea what made Soho unique or different from neighbouring districts (such as Mayfair).  However, it is stuffed to the gills with bookstores, record shops and theatres…the perfect place for this particular tour.

On my first excursion from the hotel, I grabbed a Caribbean Roti Chicken Wrap with a tangy tamarind sauce.  The food on offer here is astonishing in its variety.   Something else that’s astonishing:  almost every block yields a name or sight that is familiar to me, even though I’ve never been here before.   I don’t think I realized how much influence London has had on Canada nor how much influence London has had on my favourite music.  Even when I’m not looking for them, musical sights are constantly appearing!

Within 30 seconds of entering Soho, I see the Govinda Restaurant and the Radha Krishna Temple.  Beatle scholars will recognize “Govinda” as a Top 30 (U.K.) hit for the Radha Krishna Temple – it was produced by George Harrison.  It’s right beside Soho Square – the home of Paul McCartney’s business empire (MPL Communications).  The list goes on and on.

The lyrics of the classic wartime song “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” include “Goodbye Piccadilly, farewell Leicester Square”:  now I see that Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square are just a couple of blocks apart in real life!  And they are massive, positively crawling with tourists taking photos and trying to pick up discounted theatre tickets.  But there are plenty of Londoners here too.  Piccadilly Circus reminds me of Times Square in New York City:  see photo at the top of this post.

I have no real plan for my wanderings, as every direction yields something of interest.  A couple of blocks south brings me to Trafalgar Square with its vast open spaces, statues and the National Galleries.  Walking south here on Whitehall, into the heart of the City of Westminster, I see familiar names such as Downing Street (home of the Prime Minister) and Scotland Yard.  And then, it comes into view…

[to be continued]