Forget politics, bills, allowances, expenses; I’m going to blog about my best news in years….I’m going get an office in the Palace of Westminster itself. Well, not quite yet, it’ll be after recess in October, and not to myself of course, it’ll be shared with three others but I find to my delight the other three are friends who often share my view of the world: Lady Meacher, Lady Howarth of Breckland and Lady Warnock. When I first arrived in the Lords I had no office but it didn’t really matter since I used one in the local NHS HQ in Aldgate (hence my nomen territorialis by the way). But when I left the NHS I found the study in my flat suddenly disappeared under a mountain of papers and files, parliamentary stuff all mixed up with the other parts of my life. After a while I got allocated an office in Millbank House, across the road from the Palace, a very comfortable one, shared with Lady Meacher, only to be told some months later that the building was to be redeveloped last summer and we would be evicted for a year and moved to an office at the upper end of Tothill Street, way beyond the division bell. Since even getting across from Millbank is touch and go as to whether I can get to the chamber in 8 minutes, I declined the offer of one even further away. In fact we were spared the eviction for a year and miracle of miracles, the creation of the new Supreme Court and the mass exodus of the Law Lords offices and committee rooms will free up space for me and many others to move into the Palace.
Lady Meacher, Lady Howarth and I went exploring to find the office, said to be ‘off the Royal Gallery’. Off, but through a door, up two flights of spiral staircase, down a corridor and up another short staircase. The room is ‘in the eves’, with a distant view over Black Rod’s car park; it has a vague smell of curry and an old microwave, presumably we might get it cleaned over recess. I fear we are evicting someone who uses it as a kitchen. There is a walk-in cupboard off it where it is rumoured Lord Pannick and another peer will be housed. A couple of weeks ago Lord Pannick was in a positively hypomanic mood at being allocated an office at last…I wonder if he’s seen it?
Our new home may not be glamorous but it will at least be within dashing distance of the Chamber and those stairs are going to keep us fit.
Gosh ! Will we be able to pop round for tea and biscuits in exchange for a bit of photocopying and light dusting duties ?
Will there be a ‘Today Programme’ style webcam ? Exciting stuff..
“I fear we are evicting someone who uses it as a kitchen. There is a walk-in cupboard off it where it is rumoured Lord Pannick and another peer will be housed.”
Sorry, but I have visions of whoever might have been using the cupboard for secret afternoon trysts having to relocate to somewhere more amenable.. – but I still think you could carry on with the afternoon tea theme in the eaves, like Shoon in Bath, as a reward for climbing the stairs…
http://www.shoon.com/locations/1
At least something positive has come out of the creation of the Supreme Court. Are we to guess that your new office was previously where the Law Lords microwaved their ready-meal curries during long hearings?
I have a slightly amusing image of the Lords’ authorities with a giant tombola:
(official #1) “#25”
(official #2) “Lady Meacher & Lady Howarth of Breckland with..”
(official #1) ” #17″
(official #2) “Lady Murphy and Lady Warnock”
(official #1) “are sharing..#6
(official #2) “the roof top curry house”
Congratulations!
I have only my corner in an open plan office to call my own, but that is enough. I could not imagine to work effectively without my bit of office space.
So I guess this is the downside of having a highly history parliament building.
So, the story of 52 labour MPs demanding a peerage is rubbish, then?
Well I’m glad you all share my excitement. Croft, I suspect the allocation was exactly like that. Lady D’Souza knows but maybe she isn’t telling…
All I need really is a desk, a computer, a phone, a filing cabinet,a printer, a shelf, my precious phrenology head given me by an NHS colleague, my photos of home, a fetching photo of the Theoretical Chemist and somewhere to put the handbag. Just one problem with sharing with 3 others…where does the researcher or assistant sit when needed? No space for meetings at all.
The Royal Gallery serves as a meeting room for up to six people; tables are just about out of earshot from the other tables but everyone else knows who you are meeting (not that that matters in my case I hasten to add). Then there is the Peers’ Guest Room and the Tea Room for one or two guests but some days I feel I am almost afloat with tea after several meetings.
Bedd Gelert, a webcam in our office would be welcome, it would serve the public like some late night debates in committee on TV, pure Mogadon on air.
Well I don’t know about your other two ‘cellmates’ but Lady D’Souza seems to be regularly off somewhere or is the fact that 1,2 or more of the occupiers will sometimes be away factored into how many peers they think they can squeeze into a room. Perhaps you need to put up some mirrored wall panels to make the room feel bigger!
Baroness: “it has a vague smell of curry”. That’s Empire dear lady. Empire!
There are some roomy offices under the Mall and with a good pair of trainers, you could sprint to the division within 8 minutes. They look as if they were last used (and scrubbed) in WWII, so don’t expect any mod cons like a telephonic appliance!