Parliament / London Travel Guide

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Parliament

Houses of Parliament at Night, London, England Photographic Print
Bibikow, Walter
16 in. x 12 in.
Buy at AllPosters.com
Framed Mounted

Hope and make it a point, on each of our visits to London, to attend a sessýion of the House of Commons, in the great Palace of Westminster; beniuse the ritual, the pageantry and the brilliant debate of this most famous of legislative bodies is an inspiring experience, that re-enforces one's belief in democracy.

To gain entrance without standing in line, you'll need a ticket from the American Embassy-but that's really too much of a chore to consider. Except for debates of exceptional importance, you'll rarely have to wait more than half-an-hour for admission, and you can spend this time sitting on a cushioned ledge in the hall that leads to the visitors' galleries.

Sessions of the House of Commons begin at 2:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, at 11 a.m. on Friday, and often last Iate into the evening (August is usually, but not always, the month of recess).

Visitors who do not possess tickets from their Embassy or from an M.P., are admitted to the galleries beginning at around 4 p.m., earlier on Fridays. (On Saturdays, when the House is not in session, you'll be admitted to wander around at most any time). Keep in mind, as you watch the session, that amplifiers are ingeniously concealed in the woodwork at your shoulders.

Therefore, if you lean back slightly, rather than lean forward, you'll be able to hear perfectly. The best feature of attending Parliament is that, upon entering the gallery, you'll be given (on request) a "refreshment pass" to use the Parliamentary cafeteria-where you can obtain one of the best cheap meals in London and which makes for a fascinating experience, because you'll be sitting next to members of Parliament as they dine with constituents from their home districts.

Best time for avoiding a wait in line to enter Parliament? Around 6 p.m., when the crowd thins out-the only disadvantage being that the more important debates are usually concluded by that time. The tube station for Parliament is Westminster.