Talk:Palace of Westminster

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Contents

[edit] Westminster Hall on first floor?

This very good article contains the following:

The building includes four floors; the ground floor includes offices, dining rooms, and bars. The first floor houses the principal rooms of the Palace, including the Chambers, Westminster Hall, the lobbies, and the libraries.

Clearly from the first sentence's reference to a ground floor, we are using 'first floor' here in the UK rather than US sense. In which case the statement that Westminster Hall is on the first floor confuses me. My recollection is than on entry via the public entrance, Westminster Hall is more or less immediately to the left and below, with a significant flight of stairs down to the halls floor level. I cannot square that with it being on the first floor. Am I mis-remembering, or is the article wrong?. -- Chris j wood 20:47, 13 Apr 2005 (UTC)

It's older than the rest and has a different floor level. I should think it is between the two, but I haven't measured. The main access is from the first floor, so it functions more as part of that than as part of the other. CalJW 05:23, 12 May 2005 (UTC)
Westminster Hall is usually accessed by walking down one flight from the first floor lobby leading to St Stephens. It can also be accessed (without stairs) from ground level at New Palace Yard or Star Chamber Court. MikeHobday 16:20, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] influence of layout of Commons Chamber on British democracy

I have heard it said[1] that the layout of the Commons Chamber which is a) small and b) "confrontational" with two opposing rows has directly influenced the working of British democracy and the two party system. Shouldn't this be covered here? I don't see it under House of Commons either. Mozzerati 21:20, 2005 Apr 16 (UTC)

[edit] gothic-neogothic?

Shouldn't it say that the building is of neogothic architecture instead of gothic, in the first paragraph?

I have substituted gothic revival for gothic architecture in conformity with an existing wikipedia article. In my own language it would be called "neogothic". However, neogothic is defined in the Wikipedia as an American branch of the gothic revival. I do not think this is quite O.K., but in a an encyclopedia it is important to use the terminology consistently. --Georgius 18:29, 26 Jun 2005 (UTC)

[edit] section headings

concise, well done. User:Xmnemonic

[edit] 1 km != 1 1/2 miles

Since 1 August 2005, it has been illegal to hold a protest within 1 and a half miles (1 km) of the Palace without the prior permission of the Metropolitan Police.

1 km is not equal to 1 1/2 miles. I don't know what is stated by the law, but this can never be rightm - User:AngelovdS
The zone is 0.5 miles (roughly 1km) [2] Mrsteviec 18:56, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
One kilometre is 0.621371 miles - Adrian Pingstone 21:49, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
That is true. But how was the new law worded? In miles or km? Mrsteviec 06:23, 9 October 2005 (UTC)
In miles - Kittybrewster 16:29, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Commons chamber - number of seats

Parliament (parliament.uk website) lists the number of seats available in the chamber as 427, not 437 as listed here. [3]

Furthermore, the BBC also use this number. [4]

So does Channel 4. [5]

I haven't found a 'respectable' source listing there as being 437 seats - I presume this came from a misprint or typing error somewhere, so am changing it to match the sources referenced.

Mauls 22:46, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Longstanding error

This sentence in the section on the layout of the Lords contains an error: "The benches on the right of the Woolsack form the Spiritual Side, and those to the right [again] form the Temporal Side." Which is on the left? Also, is that the right looking from the throne, or towards it? Honbicot 20:46, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

Fixed. --StanZegel (talk) 05:53, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Removal of terrorism plan claim

I've removed this, as added by User:Preschooler.at.heart, as it's a rather wild claim, one that I've not heard before, and which is not sourced at all:

In 2001, a terrorist attack was planned involving running a commercial airliner into the palace in coordination with the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC, and also another failed plan involving Tower Bridge. the plan was aborted at the last minute when the would-be hijackers saw the damage in the United States, panicked, and fled.

Thoughts? James F. (talk) 14:37, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

I agree with you. Kittybrewster 16:26, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] sauce

Should this article link to HP Sauce? And if so, where? (There's no particularly light-hearted trivia section). fabiform 19:12, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Ownership

Does the Crown or the Government own the palace, or both? Rednaxela 22:24, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Guy Fawkes, et al

This article currently states unequivocally that Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators were dupes: "The plot was a successful conspiracy aiming to trick Roman Catholic insurgents into planning...an explosion in the Palace....The plot was however always a trap...." I think that this is rather more certain than the facts warrant. Even the Wikticle on the Gunpowder Plot is dubious about it, indicating that not a lot of support is given the trap theory, other than that Cecil may have known about the Plot for a few days before it was officially unmasked. I would change this, but i don't want to step in if there has been discussion about it previously, and this is a current consensus. Give it a couple of days and rework it? Lindsay H. 03:09, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

I made a couple of changes, on the basis that no one else did or objected. Cheers, Lindsay 14:40, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Edward the Confessor

Edward the Confessor is here described as the penultimate Saxon king of England. I suggest that the word "penultimate" be removed, since this is not accurate if one includes among the Saxon kings Edgar Aetheling, who was proclaimed king of England by the Witan after the Battle of Hastings, though never crowned. Shulgi 13:49, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

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