Not your average day: Lunch at the House of Commons

Just over a week on now from the UK's referendum regarding our EU membership; and with our world going a little crazy with the uncertainty, "what nows?" and the inevitable political fall-out, I thought I would try to lighten the mood with this post about a rather special lunch I had recently.

Just before the referendum the Members' Dining Room in the House of Commons was opened to the public for two days only. I was asked if I wanted to try out this rather unique new lunch spot, and so jumped at the chance to explore and experience this (probably for me) once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I rocked up to a side-entrance of the Houses of Parliament and was hustled through security; there's nothing like a security pat-down to whet one's appetite. Having passed this first test, I wandered through the jaw-dropping halls to meet my lunch companion at the Members' Dining Room.

Unfortunately, you're not allowed to take photos inside, so I have one very blurry one I quickly snapped before I realised you weren't allowed! Whoops!

The lunch itself was simply fantastic; the food was absolutely outstanding and the service was second-to-none. I happened to ask one of the team, purely out of curiosity, whether the kitchen was a bit cramped, considering the ancient age of the building. The lovely man then proceeded to organise for me to go and visit the kitchens and meet the head chef! I think that says it all - they made us feel incredibly welcome and went above-and-beyond to make the whole experience one to remember (for the right reasons).

(Left) Seared sliced beef skirt, maple and smoke sticky glaze, char-grilled gem lettuce, chive sour cream, dill pickles. (Centre) Slow cooked pigs cheek, crisp pork belly, sage creamed potato, potato crisp, roast globe artichoke, glazed carrots. (Right) Brioche feuillete, chocolate ganache, puff pastry ice cream, sugar crisp.

After this feast, including beautiful petits fours and an excellent cuppa, I headed off for a tour of the Houses of Parliament. As it turned out I had a 1:1 tour, which was amazing. I'm sad to say I have reached my grand old age and lived in London for going on three years and never been to look round one the most iconic buildings of London.

Being shown around it's hallowed halls and oddly familiar chambers, was an incredible experience. Soaking up the atmosphere of power, politics and history whilst thinking about the people who serve within it's walls was inspiring and thought-provoking. Knowing that later that week a seminal and unprecedented vote would take place, which had the potential to change the face of our United Kingdom, and the world beyond made the day all the more poignant. A vote which now, with the result, has shaken the foundations of that historic building and all of us with it.

It was an incredible day, an outstanding lunch and has been an historic week.
I would highly recommend you check out the House of Commons website, in case they open the Members' Dining Room again.

What are some of your city or country's landmarks you are yet to visit? Any suggestions for must-see sights or unique spots? 

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'Doing your bit': London Legal Walk 2015

A little bit of a more general/personal post today! But, as with the voting post I did here, it's ultimately all about helping the community and improving lives and well-being.

On Monday 18th May 2015, I, along with over 9000 other people, took part in the London Legal Walk.
The 10 kilometre walk around London is held each year to raise funds for free legal advice charities in London and the South East. Individuals, universities and law firms took part. I even saw babies and dogs tagging along! To find out more visit the London Legal Support Trust website here,
So far, with just this walk, over £600,000 has been raised!

Personally, it was an incredible experience. The weather turned out beautiful, after a very dull and wet morning! I had been a little concerned about making it round the whole 10km course, but I'm thrilled to say I managed it in just over two hours. This is a bit of a milestone for me, as two years ago I was struggling to walk 10 metres, let alone 10 kilometres!

So, overall, it was not only a brilliant opportunity to raise money for an awesome cause and meet some inspirational people, but also a personal triumph.

As you can see from the photos, we saw lots of different parts of London. It was a great opportunity to explore London, even though I've been here a while now it's still so much fun to play at being a tourist! We started and finished the walk behind the Royal Courts of Justice, just round the corner from the Law Society, in the heart of the legal district of Chancery Lane...an apt setting and one which I find both inspirational and aspirational. There was a street-party afterwards and we danced to Samba music, drank beer while the stilt-walkers weaved in between the crowds and dressed up for silly photos in the (rather cool) photo booth.

I highly recommend the event to anyone who is interested in law, justice, equality or social care. It's superbly run and organised. It's also a fantastic opportunity to network whilst getting some good exercise and raising money for a deserving cause. You'll definitely see me there next year!

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
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Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
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Why voting matters and how to have a voice

A video about the importance of voting in the United Kingdom's General Election 2015.

“To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers.” Louis L'Amour.

Useful links for making your mind up:

http://election2015.votematch.org/
http://www.whoshouldyouvotefor.com/
https://voteforpolicies.org.uk/
https://uk.isidewith.com/political-quiz

Useful links for registering to vote:

https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote?gclid=CMzctJTI7sQCFWOr2wodC5EAFA
https://www.gov.uk/yourvotematters

I really hope you enjoy watching the videos and that they can help you or someone you know. I would love to hear from you if you have anything you would like to say.

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life