Apparently, by the time you get to read this, the Queen will have become our longest reigning monarch. Her great-great grandma ascended to the throne when the then king, William IV, died. This was 1837, a long long time ago, which might explain some of the food on sale in the William IV Hotel in Birtley the last time I visited it. However, the William’s now under new management and I’m assured things are much improved.