Pause, even for a microsecond, and a policeman will descend on you. The second is the tip for if you're really lost. I arrived at the House of Lords at 2pm in my smartest suit, and was met by a clerk with an agenda for my afternoon, planned to the finest detail. I was whisked from clerk to clerk, as they explained the various arcane rituals of their profession. They explained how important it was that everything be done correctly.
Perfection is the clerkly way of doing things.
We call it clerkliness . In the table office, they explained that each day at 4pm, papers are laid before the House of Lords. The odd Peer pottered around. No odder than average, I was told. I was ushered into the office of a Very Senior Clerk Indeed.