Equivalent presiding officers before this time were called parlour or prolocutor, and existed as far back as 1258, when Peter de Montfort is said to have presided over the "Mad Parliament" held at Oxford.

BBC: Speaker

You'll be served your included gourmet breakfast on the sweeping veranda or, on a cool morning, fireside in the parlour.

BBC: Daily deal: A feast of the senses in Savannah

"Maybe the police should once a month or every six months...come to the parlour and speak to the owner about who has been coming in, " she said.

BBC: A client and prostitute exchanging money

At The Parlour, a popular pre-game (or pre-fight) watering hole, the Vice President of Marketing for Tecate beer was in his element, schmoozing with staffers, vendors and, what the heck, a couple of reporters.

FORBES: Tecate Gladly Fills Boxing's Sponsorship Void

Locals and visitors come to see what food has been turned into the ice cream of the day, emerging from the parlour to take in the tiny, mountainous town of Lares, cone or cup in hand.

BBC: Unexpected tastes at Helader��a Lares

And our meal at 21212 deserves every spike of its sparkler - it's a humorous and clever romp without losing sight of deliciousness: plates look like elaborate puzzles, ingredients deliver snort-making surprises like parchment made from mushrooms, or smoked salmon with fingernail-sized buttered crumpets, all in a room that looks like Shrek's pulling parlour.

BBC: Postcard from Edinburgh