Who likes a good Anglo-Saxon helmet more than Londonist is a question we had no answer to... until now. It turns out that the one thing that MPs love more than preventing "foreigners" from "stealing our benefits" is tearing around the House of Commons in priceless ancient battle garb:
Andrew Morrison, curator of archaeology at the Yorkshire Museum, is convinced that the three days and two sleepless nights guarding the helmet were worthwhile, reporting that as soon the MPs came into the room, they immediately turned into excited little kids, even asking to try it on. Morrison does not readily give in to such requests. The York helmet travels in its own custom-made display case, containing hydrometers that continually monitor humidity levels and atmospheric changes. But having taken a quick reading, Morrison discovered that the temperature and humidity within the case almost precisely matched the atmospheric conditions of the House of Commons dining room. So out it came.
So the House of Commons is temperature maintained to stop old relics from decaying... awesome.
No word on exactly which MPs got to play dress up (as well as fondle the ball from the 1966 world cup final and Kim Philby's passport as part of a 'The North of England Rocks!' promotion), but forgive us for immediately thinking of Boris Johnson wearing the helmet while crying "Tonight, we dine in hell!" and kicking Gordon Brown through into the member's cafeteria.
And by reading through years of Hansard we can reveal that this is certainly not the first time that politicians have taken a keen interest in highlighting the siren call of Yorkshire. Scroll down to column 460 for this rivetting exchange from 1995:
Mr. Enright: Will the Minister consider setting aside a day on which to promote Yorkshire rhubarb?
Mrs. Browning: The hon. Gentleman has set me a challenge, but I can tell him that, as a former cookery teacher, I could certainly help to support those who may wish to demonstrate the preparation of crumble, fruit compot made with rhubarb and a range of other wonderful recipes that would restore a traditional British food to its rightful place.
Hear! Hear!
