Debate / Day 64 of 64 / 12 July
I couldn’t believe it was my last day in London. 64 days had just gone by so quickly. London had felt so familiar in just a few days, and I was genuinely in denial that I’d be going home tomorrow. This was my last day to truly explore London, so I decided to explore it unconventionally. I woke up at 9am, had breakfast, and headed straight for the Palace of Westminster. I wanted to attend a Parliamentary debate in the House of Commons. The debates are open to the public, British citizen or not, and there are debates almost every day. I entered the House of Commons viewing gallery at around 11am, and I followed the debates until around 12.15pm.
The debates that I managed to observe today were on the Home Office’s “hostile environment policy”, and the policing preparations for Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK. I was quite amazed by the number of people in the viewing gallery, as well as the number of school children that were led in by their teachers. Although superficial, to me this represented a participative electorate. One that is actively engaged in the workings and governance of its own people. The visit to the House of Commons was definitely a good reminder to me to plan a visit to Singapore’s Parliament once I’d returned.
After leaving the Palace of Westminster, I headed to the Alexandra Road Estate. The public housing estate is famous for its iconic brutalist architecture which has been featured in many movies, such as Kingsman, and music videos, such as “Mountain At My Gates” by Foals.
To end the day, I headed to Camden Market again, since it was located nearby. On the way, I managed to find a pub in the area called The World’s End, which should ring some bells to those familiar with The Cornetto Trilogy. I had lunch at Camden Market before heading back to Paddington to relax and write some blog posts. And also, to pack for my journey home.
– Ryan
Sixty Four Days 