On the 3rd August we embarked on a trip to the Houses of Parliament. We possessed a tourist like image; a big, over-excited group all wearing our DYC t-shirts ready to learn about one of the most important historical landmarks in England. Entering the building you could only but be captivated by the amazing interior, with the vast space and beautiful stained glass windows.
Our tour guide took her time to carefully explain the many elements of the building. From how the tiles were made, to details on the various paintings, it was astonishing to discover how much time and effort was taken into making the Houses of Parliament look so grand.
As we hovered over the comfy looking red and green chairs in The House of Lords and Commons, we were informed of the differences between them and taught how decisions that impact the country are made.
An amazing fact shared was that behind The Speaker’s Chair in the House of Commons, there is a sack which contains all of the petitions brought to the attention of the House and out of the many petitions, one in ten gets passed.
Amongst the numerous paintings a really interesting one was Daniel Maclise’s Waterloo. Maclise’s painting of The Battle of Waterloo is a great depiction of the gore and victory of one of the most famous battles in history. The tour guide explained how Maclise tended not to autograph his work instead he added little things in his paintings to indicate that they were created by him. In the painting Waterloo, Maclise paints two subjects holding glasses of water, which would have been very odd on a battleground but an amazing way to tag his work.
When the tour was over we were given the opportunity to look around some of the building once more and take in the beautiful surroundings.
After leaving the Houses of Parliament with new knowledge on British history and politics we had a relaxing lunch together in an open space near the London Eye.
All in all, our trip to The Houses of Parliament was fun and informative and I look forward to what the next Dartford Youth Council trip has in store.
A blog post from Itunu Abolarinwa, Web Admin
Dartford Youth Council 