Wonderful stories from Westminster...

Like the one about the broken sword in St. Stephen's Hall, the ancient hall where the House of Commons used to sit in the Palace of Westminster. In fact traces of the spot where the Speaker's Chair stood can still be seen in the floor. It is decorated with paintings and statues of prominent MPs. One of the statues, of Falkland, has a repaired break in the sword. This is where a suffragette handcuffed herself to the statue to campaign for votes for women. The sword of the statue had to be cut to remove her, and the repair can still be seen - a little bit of history in itself....

I found lots of lovely little stories on my brief tour - like the scars on the table in the House of Lords where Churchill would bang his hand down, whilst making a speech, and the signet ring on his finger would chip away pieces of wood. Why was he speaking in the House of Lords? Because, after the Commons debating chamber was bombed during the war, the MPs moved into the Lords debating Chamber and the Lords met in another part of the Palace of Westminster.

Churchill's presence is still very evident throughout the Palace. There's Churchill's archway leading into the Commons, made from the bombed rubble, which is stained red from the incendiary. Very poignant Also, of course, the immense statue of the great wartime leader, with his toecap rubbed shiny by the MPs who often stroke Winston's foot for luck before going into the House to make a speech.

By coincidence, one of my special guests in yesterday's programme had a special link to that statue. He was Sir George Young, leader of the House, whose father-in-law cast many of the great statues around Westminster - including that famous one of Winston!

I strongly recommend a visit to Westminster, if you've never been. But if you'd like to listen to the stories I managed to dig out, you can always listen again!