Magdalene House of Commons Dinner

Dinner in the House of Commons

It was turning into quite the week of Magdalene events, as tonight was the Magdalene dinner in the House of Commons.  I'd gotten my formal, engraved invitation some time ago, and dashed out the door just in time to head to Westminster.

I arrived just on time, as Big Ben was striking 6:30 PM, but quickly realised my error when I saw the line for security to get in.  In the end, it wasn't too bad, as I only had to stand in line for about 15 minutes, and once inside, a kind security guard offered to show me where the tour group was so I could catch up with them.  Not needed however, as Tristan waved to me from across the large hall, so I just went and joined the group at that point, having missed only the first little bit of the tour.

The Great Hall in Westminster

The tour was interesting, taking us through some history, past the post boxes of all the ministers (I spotted David Cameron's), and then into the House of Commons, which was much smaller in person than it appears on television.  Interestingly, they wouldn't let us sit on the benches, but we could walk right by where the Prime Minister sits all of the time.  We also got to see the lines on the floor, where the Lord Chancellor will tell ministers to "toe the line" if they get too close to each other.  Indeed, apparently the two sides of the Commons are set to be further than a sword's length apart, so that ministers can't engage in a sudden duel and do each other any harm.  Kind of a neat bit of tradition!

At dinner in the Member's Dining Room in Parliament

As well, we walked through where the voting system goes, which instead of an electronic voting system like there is in the US House of Representatives, members have to actually exit the room, line up, and have their votes registered by a clerk.  Which is perhaps an inefficient system, but apparently is important as it allows back-benchers an opportunity to mingle with senior ministers while they queue to have their votes registered.  Kind of an interesting bit of British politics.

Hallways in the Houses of Parliament

Near the end of the tour, the tour guide showed us a statue that was famously damaged when a suffragette had chained herself to it, forcing the stone sword of the statue to be cut and repaired to get her out.  The tour guide then asked us when women had been granted the right to vote in the UK.  This was a question that had been on my citizenship exam!  I quickly answered, "1928", before realising with embarrassment that this was incorrect, that was the year in which women had been granted the right to vote at the same age as men, that the correct answer was "1918", when women were granted the right to vote at 30 if they were married.  Goodness, I truly am becoming British if I'm forgetting all of that useless information, just like a real British person.

Big Ben at night

We then made our way into the drinks reception, where I found myself talking with Tristan a bit.  Turns out that his laptop was stolen the night before, when they'd gone to the bar for drinks after the drinks reception.  Due to the wonders of insurance, it looked like everything was going to be okay (he'd backed up all of his work, and he'd set up a data-wipe to occur the minute the laptop was connected to the internet), although it makes you realise the importance of being prepared for such an eventuality.  And keeping an eye on your laptop in pubs!

Halls outside the member's dining room

At the champagne reception, I mostly found myself talking with Sophie and Cornelia, although a woman from the Development Office came up to chat to me, and looking all nice with her hair done, I totally didn't recognise her at first.  Was quite embarrassed to eventually realise I'd spent nearly an hour talking to her when I'd visited Magdalene last September, and I didn't remember her at all.  Ooops!

We were then called into dinner, where I found myself seated directly across from The Master, the senior Member of Parliament who had hosted this occasion, and all of the most senior major donors to the college. Yikes!  What on earth was I doing seated up here?  Did the college somehow think that I was fit to be among this prestigious company?

Seated right across from The Master!

Tristan was seated a bit further away, but still somewhat close to me and this central group of power.  He said to me later that he thinks we were put there because the organisers know that we have good chat, and would be entertaining company for those who most needed it.  I suppose that was a safe bet, plus I was some pretty thing for the men to look at, although also with half a brain to be witty and engaging as well.

Dinner tables after dinner

To my right was seated a very interesting 72-year old guy who had spent his career working at Proctor and Gamble all over the world.  He had studied languages at Magdalene, and had met his wife when she was one of the only women to attend a language club meeting at Cambridge.  They had three sons, but one of them died when he was 18 while he was at Harvard.  I was so shocked when he told me that, as I really just didn't know what to say.  Obviously it had happened long ago, but it's still such an awful thing, for someone to lose their child at such a young age.

At the table for dinner

He went on to tell me that he was proud to say that he and his wife had endured the tragedy, when so many couples break up after the death of a child.  They had then established a scholarship in their sons name, supporting students who are studying music, and they now often spent their time travelling around the country going to concerts by the beneficiaries of this scholarship.  I guess not a bad way to spend one's retirement.

After dinner

Overall though, he was quite interesting to talk to, and much more entertaining than the wife of a major donor that I had on my left.  I spoke to her as much as was necessary to be polite, but I rather wondered how she did not bore her husband to death.  I got the impression that the 72-year old was much more pleased with his choice of wife, as not only did she look amazing for 72 (I want to look like that when I'm that old!), but I also got the feeling that she had a brain and was much more interesting to talk to.  I think he was a happy man, celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary, because he had chosen who to marry quite well.

The crowds at dinner

The senior MP hosting the dinner gave a speech that included all of the usual jokes about Magdalene (including that when it was revealed that nobody at Magdalene received 3rds, the entire college is so smart now, somebody in the audience cried out, "Shame!").  Then the Master spoke, giving a speech that was much a repeat of his speech the night before, for which he apologised to me in a sotto voice once he sat down again.  I laughed and assured him that it was fine, for I can't expect him to come up with new speeches all of the time just for me!

With Sophie at Big Ben

After dinner, when we'd stuffed ourselves with three-courses, dessert, cheese, and petit fours, we finally started to make our way home. We stopped to take photos outside with Big Ben (after all, when else do you get to see it from this perspective?) and just spent lots of time laughing and talking as we slowly made our way out of the place.  I was pretty tired after the night before, but still was somehow talked into joining Tristan, Iain and Sophie for one last drink at a pub near Parliament.  I ordered a Diet Coke because I was so tired, although Iain got me a G&T anyway.

The empty halls of Westminster as we made our way out.  

Finally however, I was just too tired, and the pub was closing anyway.  So we finished our drinks, made our good-byes, and went home at the end of yet another late night!

The pile of security badges at the exit