When it was quiet, as it often was during January, I would set-up on Globe Walk hoping to get a fare from tourists.

On more than one occasion, on this day, being Twelfth Night, I saw a very unusual tradition, as a man shrouded in a green suit emerged from the River Thames in a rowing boat accompanied by a merry posse. This was the extraordinary Holly Man, the Winter guise of the Green Man (from our pub signs, pagan myths and folklore), decked in fantastic green garb and evergreen foliage, piped over the River Thames, with the devil Beelzebub.

By Shakespeare’s Globe, led by the Bankside Mummers and their London Beadle, the Holly Man ‘brought in the green’ and toast or ‘wassail’ the people, the River Thames and the Globe (an old tradition encouraging good growth).

It was the ceremony of the traditional beginning of the Twelfth Night celebrations that marked the end of the Christmas period before people return to work.

The ‘Mummers’ then processed to the Bankside Jetty and performed the traditional freestyle St. George Folk Combat Play, featuring the Turkey Sniper, Clever Legs, the Old ‘Oss and many others, dressed in spectacular costumes.

The play is full of wild verse and boisterous action, a time-honoured part of the season. Cakes distributed at the end of the play have a bean and a pea hidden in two of them. Those from the crowd who find them are hailed King Bean and Queen Pea for the day and crowned with ceremony.

The King and Queen then lead the people through the streets to the historic George Inn Southwark, for a fine warming-up with the Fowlers Troop, Storytelling, the Kissing Wishing Tree, Dancing and Mulled Wine.

Whether this performance, recorded since the Crusades, will take place today I doubt.

Tomorrow will see The State Opening of Parliament, and although our political masters have promised it to be the last for two years, the political commentators are predicting it won’t even be the last one this year, as we could have another election in the near future.

The State Opening has many traditions, Black Rod knocking on the door to gain admittance, the speech which is referred to as ‘A Humble Address’ or the ‘Loyal Address’.

[M]any other anomalies are to be found in the Palace of Westminster. A snuff box is situated by the door of the Commons. Smoking has been banned since the 17th century, so a full box if snuff is provided should Members require.

Hooks are provided in the cloakroom so one may hang one’s sword, they were barred from the Chamber.

The mace, which once was a weapon is carried before Black Rod. The last time the ‘weapon’ was used in anger was by Michael Heseltine. On the 27th May 1976, the government was attempting to steer the hotly contested Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Bill through the Commons. The vote on an amendment had been tied and was lost on the Speaker’s vote, Heseltine had to be restrained from using the mace presumably upon the Speaker’s head.

The colours of green (Commons) and red (Lords) are denoted on the carpets, benches and Westminster and Lambeth bridges, although no-one quite knows why those colours were chosen.

The expression ‘in the bag’ comes from a rather worn velvet bag, called the Petition Bag, which hangs on the back of the Speaker’s chair. Where, if you believe, shy Members could leave petitions to be considered.

Emily Wilding Davidson (who would subsequently die under the King’s horse at Ascot) hid in a cupboard on census night, so she could give her address as ‘The House of Commons’. The late Tony Benn would show his guests the stationery cupboard.

In a kind of quasi-religious icon worshiping, Members touch the statues of their favourite dead politicians when passing, they say Margaret Thatcher is particularly favoured.

The Commons Chamber can only accommodate 427 for the 650 members, Churchill was reputedly in favour of keeping the seating to a minimum after bomb damage necessitated rebuilding, so he wouldn’t have too much opposition to his speeches.

Two red line along its floor of the Commons Chamber, which are 8-foot apart, just over two sword lengths, just in case Members flout the rule of ‘no swords’ and don’t hang them in the cloakroom.

There is the talk of moving the whole of Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre while 5-years of maintenance takes place.