Do you, or have you ever, worked in a very famous building?

[ferriswheel]

I've just lost the best part of a day watching Designated Survivor and it has made me think about all of the behind-the-scenes people who work in The White House, or Buckingham Palace, or any kind of place like that.

Does anyone have any exciting stories of what it is actually like?

I worked in Parliament one day a week as part of a previous job. Never took it for granted that I was able to work in such a special building.

I’ve worked at Warwick castle selling ice creams over a few summers as a teenager

I used to work at Gatwick airport a long time ago - loved the buzz and excitement. Even though it was mostly ordinary offices just going behind the scenes made a normal day a little bit interesting.
I've worked in St Pauls cathedral which was fascinating.

@Motherscare I was working there when they filmed Nanny McPhee 2 and Batman Begins, I left just before all the Olympics chaos!

I spend 1-2 days a month at GCHQ and 1 day at Parliament. Never get bored of visiting either building!

I work in the Palace of Westminster (i.enthe Houses of Parliament). My husband first asked me out on a roof terrace just under the face of Big Ben. I found outback I was pregnant by peeing non a stick in an ornate tiled toilet like a Harry Potter set, in the next cubicle I could hear Tessa Jowell talking on her phone about the Olympics. I got the call to say my father was dead while watching a sunset on the river side terrace.

I love and hate it as an Office. Sometimes I catch my breath at its beauty and I walk between meetings looking at the ceilings because they are so beautiful if you are on the Principal Floor. Other days I bemoan the fact that you can fit a floor box for your computer to move without an application to English Heritage, the offices are full of moths and mice, leaks are common, protesters shout outside all day long, I was locked in for hours after the Westminster Bridge attacks believing there were terrorists with guns inside there building with us.

The Palace is falling down. MPs need to vote to agree to move out for over a decade to fix it. THey have delayed this vote for a year and I doubt they will agree it soon partly due to being distracted by Brexit and partly due to self interest: nobody wants to be the MP who didn’t serve in the actual Commons chamber. It’s a tragedy. People should lobby their MPs to push for the vote and vote to move.

Are you still there Snapes?

My first job was working at Harrods as a Christmas sales temp for 3 months. Absolutely loathed it - couldn't move for tourists! But it did make me chuckle that the areas visible to shoppers are so wildly ornate, when the staff areas are just concrete corridors. We weren't allowed to use the main entrances either - we had to enter through a building across the road and walk through an underground tunnel into Harrods itself so we popped up like elves in the centre of the shop floor.

These stories are so exciting. It must be so exhilarating being in a place that is so mysterious to everyone else and being so familiar with it.

So how does someone become a Lady in Waiting?

Pp Do you really think you were friends with Princess Diana? Did you actually feel relaxed around her?

To the poster at The World Trade Centre, that must feel so sad.

I can't name names because it's confidential but I work for the owners of some of london's most famous buildings. It's great working on them but usually when I go there i am looking at the unglamorous stuff like the plant on the roof or something! A lot of them also now have airport style security, as do the courts, which can take ages if there's a few of you to get through.

More of an observation than a story, but it's surprising how hard it can be to find a tall building on the street when you can see it for miles around otherwise!!

I used to work in an aquarium’s tank cleaning the glass. I’ve also worked in some of the other buildings mentioned. I don’t think you ever become completely blaisé about them.

I used to work at the British Museum. As with many other historic buildings mentioned, the behind the scenes parts are a rabbit warren with dodgy heating, tiny rooms and odd smells. Great canteen though, and it's fun to emerge from a huge old door right into one of the galleries. Also, the storage basements are amazing.

Have worked in a few

Harrods is the most amazing shop (worked in Selfridges as well it doesn’t have the same buzz as Harrods) the underground maze for storage is amazing we used to take in turns to go and have a nap down there

The Lloyds building

And would often visit the Royal Courts of Justice and get to go in the offices. Outside and inside it’s very imposing so much history incredible architecture

Really interesting to read these! I have one friend at GCHQ and one at the Scottish Parliament. I visited parliament with her and was amazed at the price of the food- cheaper than a school canteen!

I worked for a while in the hotel outside of which some famous rioting took place in 1968. You can't see the building at all because of all the tear gas, plus it was dark, and naturally the cameras were focused on the action. In daytime footage the building is clearly seen.

OP I won’t go into it too much, I don’t talk about that time IRL because it sounds so unbelievable. There’s only really my DH who knows how it was as he was there, he’d come home to the Princess of Wales sat at his kitchen table sipping coffee. Who would believe that? We shared alot over the years, I saw a lot too, and felt incredibly sorry for her. She helped me through a very difficult time and was there for me. She was just one of those very special kinds of people and I miss her dearly.

Worked at Hampton court for years

I’ve worked at a couple of west end theatres, backstage is not as glamorous as people think, but we used to have the best birthday parties for the shows (both long running musicals) and could get comps for all the other west end shows.

I did a summer season at Buckingham Palace, that was fun.

I did 18 years in the civil service, had a Parly pass and spent quite a bit of time in the house. Best bit was sitting in the box for PMQs, the noise was unbelievable. Used to have regular meetings at No10, I think after a while it loses its novelty. I’ve got the obligatory photo outside the front door though.

Ah the contrast, I work for a local council, our offices are in a former nursery, we even have small toilets. Nothing inspiring at all, would love to work in some of the places others do!

I've worked at Hampton Court and the Tower of London. So interesting hearing all the old stories from long-time staff, and particularly getting to know the Beefeaters! And I worked at the Royal Festival Hall for a few years, enjoyed seeing all the dressing rooms and passing well-known musicians in the corridors.

I worked and lived for a year in a castle belonging to a European royal family.

no unfortunately not but I would love to hear about someone who had access to the Vatican’s archives!!

A friend of mine works in what was Philip Larkin's office in Hull. She uses what was his desk!

I’ve just thumbed through this thread at high speed because I wanted to hear more from @liquidrevolution

Keep talking medieval and Saxon to me baby!

@licenceplatelsfresh “My parent's house has graffiti from civil war soldiers in the loft space and we would often find musket balls and the like. We had bucketfuls of old clay pipe (tobacco) pieces too.“ I just squealed.