London, Day 5

This morning we planned to go to Westminster Abbey.  On the way, whilst crossing the almost uncrossable roads that make up Parliament Square, we happened across the old Middlesex Guildhall which has been completely refurbished and is now the home of the Supreme Court, the highest court of appeal in the United Kingdom.  Established by law in 2005, it sat for the first time in October of 2009.

Supreme Court of the United Kingdom

To enter the building we passed through a level of security that was much higher than that required later in the day when we visited Westminster Abbey. Entry to the Supreme Court is free whereas Westminster Abbey has an entrance fee of sixteen pounds.  Fortunately being "oldies" we got in for thirteen pounds each.  This always raises the problem of whether we should be pleased at getting the concession or annoyed that they don't require proof of our age.  Hmph!  I guess we just look like a couple of seniors these days.

But back to the Supreme Court which represented a huge change in the legal system.  Its introduction meant that there was now a separation of powers with the Supreme Court not being the old Law Lords in the Parliament but completely separate from the Legislature.  The Supreme Court hears civil cases from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland and criminal cases from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.  The symbol of the court represents all four of the elements of the United Kingdom.

Symbol of the Supreme Court

In addition the Court sits as the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the highest court of appeal for the United Kingdom's overseas territories and crown dependencies and a number of  independent Commonwealth countries.

A Supreme Court Courtroom

The staff were very welcoming and acted as informal guides since we were unable to take one of the more structured tours.  The view from the upper levels of the building, over Westminster Abbey, are fantastic and as one of the staff told us although the building will be closed for business on the day of the Royal Wedding, many of those who work in the building will be there and will have just about the best seats possible for the comings and goings at the Abbey on the 29th of April.

We then went to Westminster Abbey.  It was very crowded and we wondered if there had been an increase in numbers as a result of the forthcoming wedding there. What can one say about the Abbey?  Here are buried or memorialised the great and famous including a number of Australians and Americans.  George Peabody lay in the Abbey for several years before his remains were sent back to America.  There is a memorial to the Arctic explorer, Sir John Franklin who was also the Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land.  In poets' corner are the mortal remains of many great writers or memorials to them.  Here one finds Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dickens and T. S. Eliot among others.

Westminster Abbey

Another glorious sight is the Lady Chapel with its magnificent ceiling.  Unfortunately the taking of pictures is forbidden in the Abbey itself but here is a picture of the ceiling from another source.

Ceiling in the Lady Chapel

The green areas and the cloisters are oases of peace in the Abbey and from them one can see the hurly-burly of London.

College Garden, Westminster Abbey