Parliament or Old Bailey
 

Quick trip - which would you do? I have passes to Parliament which means we could skip the lines. However the P.M. won't be there. I did the Parliament tour 30 yrs ago but don't remember too much as I was a young backpacker and more interested in the Beatles. Court and trials seem interesting. Comments, please.

I can't see moment what relevance B.Liar's 30 minute knockabout comedy act has in the decision. You're right, of course, to assume that unless it's PMQ, B.Liar won't be there. No Prime Minister in the last 200 years has turned up in Parliament so rarely. Even Churchill, when we had a real war on our hands, made more effort to hold himself accountable to the people who put him there than this Walter Mitty fantasist.

All of which said, it really depends on where you're from. If you're Australian, you'll probably find Parliament a bit mealy-mouthed, whereas there might be a certain charm in all those robes and things at the Bailey. If you're American, you'll probably be struck by the directness and lack of stuffiness in Parliament, whereas court cases are pretty much the same everywhere in the English-speaking world. The Bailey has a few more silly clothes than most US courtrooms, and a few procedural differences that might excite law experts. But for most of us, a serious murder or bank robbery is pretty much the same everywhere

If there's a celebrated trial on at the Bailey, though, there will be huge queues. If it's a bit of run of the mill stuff, you'll probably be better off over at Westminster.

Where the guartanteed absence of the sleaziest Prime Minister in our country's history surely adds toi the attraction.

OK. I emailed my chum who is an MP. He responded

"That being a Tuesday, business will start at 11.30am with one hour of questions to, I think, the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office. If there are any statements to be made they will follow at 12.30. We do not yet
have the main business of the day. We should get the provisional business on Thursday coming which should
be confirmed the following Thursday. I shall ask [staff member] to let you know what it is when we get it. At
this time of year it is likeliest to be a second reading of a bill or else an opposition day. I think the only bill which was carried over from the last session was the Gambling Bill and I don't think it is yet due back to the floor of the house."

I hope this helps you make up your mind and I'll give you an update when I get a further email.

I'll put in a vote for the Old Bailey. We had a hoot. The trials are posted outside so you can have a good look at what's going on before you go in. We also found that the line was full of regulars who were only too happy to advise us on the best trials.

You don't have to actually say what court you want to go into until you get to the top of the stairs, so you can listen to what others are talking about, then make your decision. We plan to go again, next time we're in England.

It's a Conservative Opposition Day in Parliament (MP emailed back last night). That means the Tories get to choose the business. It can be quite rumbustious.

Sheila, Thank you so much for the information. We'll pick up our passes at the Embassy and look forward to a rumbustious session.

I'm trying to sort something else for you. Email me for info.