Ceremony and the UK Parliament
Clifton Club Talk, given by Brigadier Neil Baverstock CBE
Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod
Thursday 11th April 2024
5.00pm glass of fizz; 5.30pm talk, followed by wine & canapés
Taking place in the elegant Clifton Club, in the heart of Clifton Village, Brigadier Neil Baverstock will present an illustrated talk about the fascinating and deeply significant role ceremony plays in the workings of the UK Parliament.
The evening includes a glass of fizz on arrival, with wine and canapés after the talk
This is a FREE event, but tickets must be booked in advance - see below for full details
Places are strictly limited so book asap!
Ceremony is an integral part of the British parliamentary system, and many of us are familiar with such ceremonies as the State Opening of Parliament, State Visits, and the Prorogation and Dissolution of Parliament, which occurs before a general election. However, there are also far more modest ceremonies from announcing the results of Divisions, the passage of bills between the Houses and the daily Speaker’s and Lord Speaker’s processions.
We are probably not aware of the range, significance and history behind these ceremonies, some of which date as far back as the 13th Century. In his talk, Brigadier Neil Baverstock CBE, will delve into the role that ceremony plays in celebrating and preserving the heritage, values, identity and continuity of Parliament as an institution. He will describe its great constitutional significance, and how ceremonial tradition symbolises the relationship between the Crown, the Lords, and the Commons – and the balance of power and authority among them.
BRIGADIER NEIL BAVERSTOCK CBE
Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod
Brigadier Neil Baverstock was born in Zambia in 1958 and was educated in Zimbabwe, Edinburgh, St Andrews University and King’s College, London. He served for 36 years in the British Army, initially with the Royal Green Jackets before transferring to the Royal Irish Regiment. He worked in Northern Ireland, Germany, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as in staff appointments in the UK and the Ministry of Defence. His last tour in the Army was in command of 145(South) Brigade based in Aldershot. He is currently the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod in the House of Lords, an appointment that he assumed in July 2013.
He is a member of the Royal College of Defence Studies which he attended in 2008, during which he took an MA in International Relations. He was awarded a CBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list in June 2023 for services to Parliament and the Queen’s funeral.
Brigadier Baverstock is married with four children. His wife, Alison, is a Professor of Publishing Studies at Kingston University and an ordained priest in the Church of England. A keen cyclist, he also plays cricket and climbs, something that he sees as entirely consistent with his healthy aversion to DIY and gardening.
Full Details
When: Thursday 11th April 2024
Where:
The Clifton Club, 22 The Mall, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4DS
Time: 5.00pm glass of fizz; talk starts promptly at 5.30pm
Booking: Contact
Helen Sutton at CCA on: helen@crownchurchandarts.co.uk or 07802 256315
There is NO CHARGE for this event but places are strictly limited so book NOW
