Stocking fillers
To the Speaker's House, for a bash to celebrate the publication of the latest volume of the massive, magisterial History of Parliament. I say volume: actually, it's seven volumes, covering the crucial 1820-1832 period, culminating in the Great Reform Act which began the move to a truly democratic Britain. Five million words, eight times the length of the Bible. Histories of every constituency. Biographies of every MP who sat in that era - 1,300 plus. A snip at £425.
You can learn about such worthies as Richard Plantagenet Temple Nugent Bryges Chandos Grenville - who'd probably have to call himself something like Dick Bridges to get elected today.
Apparently, at the , which is diligently beavering its way through centuries of Westminster events and personalities to produce these volumes, there was a massive behind-the-scenes controversy over whether or not to hyphenate his impressive name. But even that was as nothing to the internecine struggle to decide whether to use an ampersand in the constituency of Weymouth & Melcombe Regis.
, arriving a little late, after presiding over PMQs and a defence statement, revealed an unsuspected interest in the history of the Commons. Apparently he's been scouring the records to prove that he is not the shortest-ever Speaker.
And he has identified three speakers who were indeed shorter - although, in the interests of accuracy, he adds that this was only after they'd been beheaded.
I'm Mark D'Arcy and I'll be writing about what goes on in the chambers and committee rooms at Westminster.
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