PUPILS?from Ditcham Park School got a taste of parliamentary life with a trip to the Houses of Parliament.

During the trip to London, pupils visited both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The year nine and year 10 students visited Westminster Hall and were amazed to see the metal plaque where Charles I sat for his trial more than 350 years ago.

They then went to the central lobby, which is the mid-point between the House of Commons and the House of Lords, where statues of Prime Ministers gaze down at visitors everywhere they look.

Pupils visited the magnificent House of Lords, with its famous red leather seats. As the lords weren’t sitting, pupils were allowed to stand in the rows (all except for the back row) but weren’t allowed to sit down, due to not being peers.

Next they went to the House of Commons, which was a lot more modern and more plain than its counterpart. The pupils were lucky to be allowed to watch a debate from the public gallery, which they found interesting.

The students then got the chance to meet East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds (pictured) and to take part in an MPs’ Question Time. There were lots of questions for him, such as “what’s David Cameron like?”, “what qualifications do you need to become an MP?” and “what were you like in school?”

A Ditcham Park spokesman said the pupils had an interesting and enjoyable trip.