Travelling on public transport from Surbiton to Waterloo then on to Westminster, Year 7 toured Parliament with The History Department.
The boys enjoyed an interesting introductory film on the history of Parliament before heading in to the Palace. They entered via the Monarch’s entrance in the Victoria Tower, then up to the Robing Room where the Monarch would rest and adjust robes before walking the Long Gallery into the House of Lords, passing the spot under which Guy Fawkes had lurked with his Gunpowder in 1605 and then in to the House of Lords passing the Monarch’s throne.
After hearing an interesting explanation of the constitutional process of the House of Lords, they reached the Central Lobby where the Parliament Post Office is located, from where live TV is often broadcast and where in 1908 Suffragettes chained themselves in their fight for women’s votes.
From here they passed statues and busts of many great former Prime Ministers including; Churchill, Attlee, Lloyd-George and Thatcher, then through the “No” lobby of the House of Commons, finally reaching the entrance the PM usually uses to enter the House of Commons. The boys then assembled in the Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace dating back to the reign of William II where they had a chance to visit the gift shop before heading back to school. What a worthwhile, very educational and valuable trip for the boys!
