>>>-Are you looking for every cellar before every opening of English parliament (If it's true, so funny. :)) )
>>
>>I expect there ARE many security checks all over nowadays, esp. due to Al Qaida and esp after 7/7. After all, the IRA DID succeed in blowing up part of Parliament back uin the 70s. So what's so amusing about the concept?
>
>In that article this mentioned as an old tradition. Not belonged any terror thing. If that's true yes, funny...

Yes, Mark Hardiman mentioned that there still is a "ceremonial" checking of the cellars. Incidentally, last Nov was the 500th anniversay of the plot and there was a series of programs on the subject. I vaguely recollect seeing something of this. We have several archaic and arcane rituals like this, like when the Queen annually opens the new term of parliament. Normally royalty and lords aren't allowed into the House of Commons (they stay in the House of Lords) but the Queen enters to address her parliament. Before she does a man called "Black Rod" pounds on the door with, you guessed it, a big black rod (decorated with precious metal etc., of course) to demand entrance.

In case you're interested, here's a link to a town near me where bonfire night is celebrated like nowhere else and I go there every Nov 5. I included some info about it in the recent (this week's) discussion on July 4 and fireworks.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLR,GGLR:2005-39,GGLR:en&q=lewes+bonfire