Historical Fun

 BLACK DAWN - CHAPTER ONE - SCENE ONE MICHAEL FAWKES - The cellars beneath Westminster Palace  Fawkes. A name that echoed through history. The man who had tried to blow up parliament. And now, here he was, another Fawkes, tasked with the grim tradition that had haunted this place, and his name, for over four hundred years: searching the cellars before the State Opening of Parliament. He gripped his torch tightly, sweeping the beam through the shadows, across the ancient stone, abandoned dust-covered desks, and forgotten boxes of paperwork. Normally, this was a routine job, something done for formality's sake. Nothing ever came of these searches. But tonight, Michael Fawkes couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something ... was off. His boots echoed through the corridors, the sound swallowed by the darkness and the demons. He tried to convince himself there was nothing wrong. Nothing out of place. Nothing to be worried about. It was just nerves. The weight of history filled ...

5 Fun Facts About The British Parliament - Part One. 1. The British Parliament is made up of two houses: The House of Commons is where elected members of parliament sit, and The House of Lords is where really old guys who wet themselves sit.   And they do have to sit, as they can't stand. They're really old. And smell of pee.   Nope, that actually isn't true anymore. It used to be true, though. The House of Lords really did stink of wee.   The Lords used to be all landed gentry and, as such, all had tweed jackets. These were treated "fixed" with urine to make them more durable and strong.   Unfortunately, when it rained, it gave off an aroma of piddle.   Nowadays, there are chemicals that are used instead. Plus, the old gentry don't tend to sit in the Lords anymore. Most of the chamber is full of appointed Lords instead. 2. The two chambers hate each. In fact, they hate each other s...