To Westminster & Don’t Spare The Horses

Today we had booked the self guided tour of the “ Palace of Westminster” aka the Houses of Parliament. We thought that this would be best since we could stop and sit whenever we needed to without having to keep up with an in person guide. As it turned out the tour was fabulous with lots of extra information as well as the necessary stories and functions of the place, which are inexhaustible no doubt. Such huge personalities have strode the halls amid momentous events. After negotiating the security the tour starts in the ancient great hall. Here and in the next hall, St Stephen’s, we were allowed to take photos but not alas after that sadly when there was so much of interest to see. The robing rooms where the monarch of the day frocks up were impressive, but really the House of Lords was out of this world for gilded splendour. I felt more at home in the plainer House of Commons where the lusty debates take place.
After the tour which took us about 90 minutes, we headed towards the Thames Embankment for lunch. We chose the Tattersall Castle, a former passenger ferry turned into a pub with amazing views. Fish and chips with a view of the river and the London Eye. Perfect!
To round off the day I was keen to buy a book from one of the book shops in Charing Cross Road. We found “Any Amount of Books” at no. 56 and I bought a good biography of Nelly Ternan, Charles Dickens’ mistress, signed by the author no less, for 3 pounds 50. This turned out to be prophecy as well as purchase because after we got home Stu and Chris invited us to visit the Charles Dickens House Museum with them tomorrow. Of course we readily accepted! So that’s tomorrow sorted. As they say on the London underground: “See it. Say it. Sorted.”Read more