Alex’s Experience in Parliament Square

Here I am, sitting in the car, going from school to Parliament Square and looking out of the window trying to remember everything I knew from Mrs Newfield’s history lesson about Parliament and the House of Lords… It seemed like I knew most of it, but I couldn’t imagine what was happening inside, what people do there and what the afternoon tea is like at the House of Lords.

I am in. Cromwell is on my right. Westminster Hall is next. Everything seems grand, majestic, precisely built… without computers! There are long corridors in front of me with statues, great paintings on the walls, patterns on the ceiling and floor… and these very polite and disciplined people passing by. Finally I’m in the House of Lords! Here we are in the chamber. “My Lords!” someone started…

Here I am standing in front of the secret door through which we all stepped and found ourselves in the dining hall. I was turning my head all the time looking at the people sitting around speaking the Queen’s English, debating about something loudly.

Here I am sitting in the car going back home and I caught myself speaking the same Queen’s English, in the same loud voice as the Lords, describing the the best scone, clotted cream and strawberry jam, the green and red carpets, beautiful wooden panelling, huge chandeliers and the statue of Churchill.