Here is your Washington, Tyne and Wear tourist minute:
The Washington Old Hall is an old house. The doorways are short because George Washington came from a short family. Probably.
The Trinity Church is next to the Old Hall. It's a church. You've seen those before.
The F Pit. The one coal mine still standing in the town. Haven't been there since the school made us as kids.
Biddick Art Centre is another school trip. Don't recall their being much art in the place.
North East Sea and Air Museum. One place I haven't been to but they've got a largely intact DeHaviland Trident sat there. It's right next to the Nissan factory where, I assume they still build cars.
I'd hesitate to call the place boring but it's got good transport links to much, much better towns and cities.
I was reading part of the things a new monarch has to do is abstain from political interference. Mainly to avoid some kind of parliamentarian/royalist clash. So I'm not entirely sure how much constitutionally a reigning monarch can even do.
As for the tax blight, it's £100m a year. A drop in the ocean. And there's clearly some pull to bring that many people into London and all the Jubilee bollocks. And the royal weddings. And the royal funerals.
Shindig's comments