The Speaker's chair - with a lighted canopy - was originally a present from Australia and is the only wood of its type in the Houses of Parliament (d).
You get a special type of wood (known as reaction wood) laid down in response to environmental stimuli, such as tipping or wind, which induces these special woods to be formed.
And even though Alan had never been in the hotel or real estate business, he had an unbelievable clarity of vision I'll never forget, in 2000, he walked me through this gutted brick structure and was describing the color of the curtains, the type of wood floor, the long bench in the entrance.