» Day 5: Back to London with a Visit to the House of Commons and the Houses of Parliament 

This is the eighth blog post in a series written by Georgette Mayo, Avery Research Center’s Processing Archivist, reflecting on her trip to London and Liverpool in October 2024.

It was another early morning as our delegation departed Liverpool to arrive in London by early afternoon.  We were the invited guests of the National Museums Liverpool (NML) to attend the capital development presentation for the International Slavery Museum (ISM) and the adjoining Maritime Museum. The program reaffirmed the museum’s mission and unveiled the renovation designs to House of Commons representatives and guests.   

The program titled “ISM: Moving Forward Together,” began with the uplifting voices of the Liverpool Lighthouse Choir.  Laura Pye, director of NML, introduced Michelle Charters, head of ISM, who discussed the upcoming renovation and ISM’s impact, which 

“—aims to create societal change for those most impacted by the legacies of transatlantic slavery.”¹ 

Charters was joined by her colleagues, Claire Benjamin, and Hope Leslie, who explained their programs and partnerships that will support ISM.  Our delegation was privy to this presentation on our first day in Liverpool. 

Afterward, lunch was served, which allowed us to meet with Parliament representatives and guests. We were introduced to Kossy Nnachetta, the lead architect for the ISM project. A description of the project from the Feilden Chegg Bradley Studios can be found here.  

Image-2-Schematic-of-ISM-interior

Image-3-Proposed-ISM-exterior

A bonus not included in our itinerary was a tour of the Palace of Westminster, known today as the Houses of Parliament. Our guided tour included Westminster Hall and the House of Lords. We were able to sit in a Westminster Hall debate briefly. 

Our final dinner and lodging in London were at The Caledonian Club, a Scottish membership institution. We dined on excellent cuisine and spoke about our impressions, what we learned, and how we will use this experience in our home cities. Most of the delegation resides in Charleston, but others live in the Upstate region of South Carolina or in North Carolina. 

This was a tour of a lifetime, and I am grateful for the cultural diplomacy experience. In my upcoming entries, I will discuss my second meeting with Linda Iley, The Athenaeum Liverpool Proprietor, when she spoke at the Charleston Library Society, and my final reflections and acknowledgments. 

Footnotes

1. Email from National Museums Liverpool, “Guest Information: International Slavery Museum-Moving Forward Together,” dated Monday 14 October 2024. ↩︎

Image Credits

1. Georgette Mayo, “Insert Image 1-The Liverpool Lighthouse Choir,” personal photograph
2. Ibid., “Schematic of ISM interior,” personal photograph. 
3. Ibid., “Proposed ISM exterior.” personal photograph 
4. Ibid., “The public viewing site of Queen Elizabeth the Second.” personal photograph 
5. Ibid., “Site of Nelson Mandela, receival and reply to addresses from both House of Parliament 11 July 1996,” personal photograph 
6. Ibid., “The Caledonian Club interior,” personal photograph.