Visit To UK Parliament

For many years, I dreamed of visiting the UK Parliament after hearing about it from my father. Even when I was living in Nepal, I imagined how it would look inside. I thought I might never get the chance – until our Dartford Nepali community organised a trip for 40 children and 10 parents with support from the local member of parliament from Dartford, Jim Dickson. I was so excited!

Our coach was arriving at 8am, so I woke up at 7am, brushed my teeth, got ready, and left home at 7:45am with my mum. When we reached the bus stop, I was surprised. I thought the coach might be boring and uncomfortable, but it was amazing! It was huge and had red lights along the ceiling, armrests, curtains, and even a toilet in the middle. We sang songs together and could also choose songs to play. And parents danced too.

My friends and I quickly ran to sit at the back. I sat right in the middle. The coach driver was very friendly, which made the journey even better. We travelled for about two hours from Dartford to Westminster. I looked out of the window and felt happy that my dream was coming true.

When we arrived, the Parliament building looked grand and important. At the entrance, we had to go through security. We took off our coats and bags before going inside. Soon, we were given special audio guides that headphones connected to a small device. Through them, we could hear our guide clearly. Her name was Ruby, and she was calm and kind. She explained everything in a way we could understand.

We walked through many beautiful rooms. One room had bright lights and detailed decorations on the walls. Another room had statues of famous members of Parliament. We learnt about the first woman MP and heard that parts of the building were damaged during the Second World War, and some marks can still be seen today. I thought it was amazing that such an old building is still standing and being used. In another room, we saw kings' and queens' pictures, such as Bloody Mary's, King Charles I's, King Charles VIII's, and others'. Awesome! 

Meanwhile, we visited two different chambers: the House of Commons (the green chamber) and the House of Lords (the red chamber). We also saw the chairs of the king and queen, which were made from 23.5-carat gold. The paintings were large and very detailed. In another room, we saw long benches where MPs sit and speak. There were microphones fixed on the desks. In the final room, we saw very grand chairs used for important ceremonies. Everything looked royal and historic.

In between, kids raised so many of our conicities and questionnaires, and Ruby answered the queries and appreciated the children for the curiosity as well. At the end of the tour, we thanked Ruby, returned our audio guides, and took group photos. I felt proud and grateful to be there. When we went outside, I found a surprise in my bag – my mum had packed pasta for me! I started eating carefully because it was very crowded. Some of my friends were eating snacks too.

On the way back, I couldn’t get a seat at the back this time, but my seat still had a comfortable armrest. The best part was when we went through a tunnel, and the blue lights inside the bus made everything look magical. We played songs and took more photos together. When I finally got home that evening, I felt worn out but very happy. That night, as I lay in bed, I smiled because my dream of visiting the UK parliament had finally come true.

Grade: VI, Westgate Primary School in Dartford, United Kingdom