Plaque

Dispuut

Inscription

{On the red granite paving slab:}
Dispuut
House of Lords
IIe Lustrum
Rotterdam 06.11.1982
Londen 29.04.1993

A bit of a puzzle, this one, but bear with us. We started with the dictionary: ‘Lustrum’ = a ceremonial purification of the entire ancient Roman population after the census every five years, OR (thank heavens) = a period of five years. Yes, yes, the two dates do not encompass five years, we spotted that. The reference to Rotterdam prompted us to request the assistance of Igor Foerier, the Flemish-speaking Belgian who built our first website and maintained it for many years. And he found Lords Gala where reference is actually made to the installation of this granite stone and 'House of Lords' no longer functioning, where there was even a picture of it.

So, with Igor’s help, we have deduced that there is quite a strong streak of Anglophilia in the Dutch/Flemish flat lands (they like our mountains). In Holland, where Lords Gala and House of Lords are based, it seems to be the thing to theme social groups (mainly male students if the photos are anything to go by) around the House of Lords. They dress up as toffs and celebrate (i.e. Drink). One of these groups, or perhaps the whole movement, we’re not sure, was founded on 6 November 1982 in Rotterdam and their second 5-yearly reunion took place in London, on 29 April 1993, over 10 years later (they are drunken students remember). Also, it looks likely that they are actually debating societies. Igor plunged into the official Dutch dictionary (Van Dale) where ‘Dispuut’ is given two meaning: ‘combat with words’ (close to the English ‘dispute’) and ‘a student community, or a part of’. The dictionary goes on to link the two meanings together to come up with ‘debating society’, of which the House of Lords could claim to be a well-known British example.

What remains a puzzle is how a load of drunken Dutch students managed to lay a huge lump of granite into the pavement, in spitting distance of the Houses of Parliament!

2017: Following input via Facebook it seems Viscount Craigavon (for whom Holland is given as a "focus") may have been involved in the laying of this stone. We've written to him for confirmation but no response so far.

2020: We have read reviews of a new Dutch Netflix series, "Ares", set in the secretive world of student fraternities. The Guardian wrote "The real-life Dutch societies have repeatedly been hit by scandals over cruel initiation ceremonies and bacchanals of drinking that have led to serious injuries and even death." 2016 is the earliest date mentioned for these real-world problems so we hope the frolics of our Dispuut students were in a world not yet tainted by any of that.

Site: Dispuut (1 memorial)

SW1, Parliament Square

Credit for this entry to: Igor Foerier

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Dispuut

Subjects commemorated i

London 29.04.1993 Lustrum Dispuut

The picture probably wasn't taken at this particular event. You really have ...

Read More

Rotterdam 06.11.1982 Dispuut Lustrum

The picture probably wasn't taken at this particular event. You really have ...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Sir Raymond Unwin - blue

Sir Raymond Unwin - blue

NW3, North End, Wyldes

In 2022 Philip Broke told us that the plaque on this house is blue not purple. We revisited and we have added our photo here. The blue pl...

2 subjects commemorated
Fakeblueplaque no 1

Fakeblueplaque no 1

N10, Hillfield Park, 4

Hillfield Park Golden Jubilee Garden Award, 3 June 2002. The Society for the Promotion of Historic Buildings

1 creator
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah

W14, Russell Road, 35

Jinnah had come to London to study Law at Lincoln's Inn between 1892 and 1896. A register of readers at the British Museum confirms that ...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Elizabeth Rundle Charles

Elizabeth Rundle Charles

NW3, Oak Hill Way, Coombe Edge

Author of "Chronicles of the Schonberg-Cotta Family" Elizabeth Rundle Charles lived here 1874 - 1896

1 subject commemorated
Bill & Daphne Abbs

Bill & Daphne Abbs

NW6, Webheath Estate

In memory of Bill and Daphne Abbs, formerly chairman and secretary of Webheath Tenants Association for over 30 years, who worked tireless...

2 subjects commemorated

Previously viewed

Bowler plaque - Arrows and Target

Bowler plaque - Arrows and Target

E1, Artillery Passage

We failed to find this in 2014 and again Dec-Jan 2017. This cast-iron roundel, which shows arrows centred on a target, is one of 22 - see...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Marlene Doris Whiteley

Marlene Doris Whiteley

Non-British, killed by the Bali bomb.

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial
V&A façade - King Edward VII

V&A façade - King Edward VII

SW7, Cromwell Road

Excluding the allegories (such as Knowledge) there are 36 statues on the two public façades of the V&A Museum, on Exhibition Road and...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
James Hudson Taylor

James Hudson Taylor

Born Barnsley, Yorkshire. Died Changsha, Hunan, China (340 miles north of Canton), where he was buried. English missionary to China. Founded the China Inland Mission in 1865 which at his death in...

Person, Religion, China/Hong Kong

1 memorial
John Skinner Prout

John Skinner Prout

WC1, Marchmont Street, 41 & 43

These two plaques are next door to each other and were unveiled on the same day. We attended the event, and since this street is becoming...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator