please empty your brain below
Victoria faces south and south east: Waterloo only south west. Would have been my pick.

David | 19.10.20 - 7:14 a.m. | #

Free Parking is the biggest anachronism on the London board.

Waterhouse | 19.10.20 - 7:22 a.m. | #

Like most provincial children I knew the Monopoly board well before I knew London. Where IS Coventry Street?

RogerB | 19.10.20 - 7:27 a.m. | #

City Road, so pop goes the weasel

Richard | 19.10.20 - 7:34 a.m. | #

And argue interminably they likely will, DG - just like a regular game of Monopoly!

Interesting choices, thanks for the explanations.

Sam | 19.10.20 - 7:34 a.m. | #

Not previously heard the tale of how the original locations were selected - Victor 'took his secretary on a day-trip from the head offices in Leeds to London'.

"We went to scout locations for a board game" feels like an imaginative subterfuge! I believe that completely acceptable maps of London would have existed at the time.

Frank F | 19.10.20 - 7:46 a.m. | #

What did Marylebone Station ever do to upset you?

Alice | 19.10.20 - 8:18 a.m. | #

I would replace Kings Cross with Euston, both because it is busier, and for historical balance (you would then have the busiest station from each of the pre-nationalisation "Big Four"

timbo | 19.10.20 - 9:00 a.m. | #

I'd prefer to be going around the board in the same direction as the locomotives, in the US edition the locomotives are facing in the direction of travel.

Still Anon | 19.10.20 - 9:02 a.m. | #

Tim Moore wrote a book "Do not pass go" which humorously discusses reasons why some of the streets were chosen, and the author visits all the streets, stations etc.

It is well worth a read - goodreads.com/ 72453.Do_Not_Pass_Go

Maybe DG can do updated walk along all the streets at some point.

Jay | 19.10.20 - 9:08 a.m. | #

When I first arrived in London in 1999, I would catch the number 23 bus to work. It was a Routemaster with the open platform at the back, so when it stopped (or even just slowed down) in traffic at the junction of Haymarket and Coventry Street, I would take the opportunity to jump off there and reduce my commute by five minutes.

That made Coventry Street stick in my memory in a slightly nostalgic way, but I still don't think that it belongs on the board. All very sensible street update choices here.

Stephen T | 19.10.20 - 9:13 a.m. | #

Interesting that you use jail and not gaol. I must be really really old.

Andrew | Homepage | 19.10.20 - 9:29 a.m. | #

But what piece would you use to get around? The dog, the top hat or the iron?

Matt | 19.10.20 - 9:40 a.m. | #

I suspect that Victor and Marjorie picked a starter list by looking at maps, and then took a day trip to London to decide the final.
Would it be possible to visit all those streets in one day, given the transports available at the time?
Sounds like a blog suggestion to me, DG.

Joho | Homepage | 19.10.20 - 9:44 a.m. | #

It would be easy to visit them all, seeing that the transport of their day (bus and underground) goes at much the same speed as modern day public transport!

Mikey C | 19.10.20 - 9:54 a.m. | #

Chance and Com-chest could become Email and WhatsApp.

Malcolm of Kent | 19.10.20 - 9:55 a.m. | #

It was a genuine question, I've no idea where many of the streets are. I live in Hampshire..

Joho | Homepage | 19.10.20 - 9:56 a.m. | #

Joho it's definitely possible, I have done the Monopoly pub crawl and can certify that!

What is more difficult is to do the Monopoly pub crawl in board order, I believe that is possible if you start early enough.

Maybe another challenge for DG if he can find enough pubs selling Becks.

Jay | 19.10.20 - 10:07 a.m. | #

In 1935 the transport available at the time was not very different from that of today and, notoriously, the average speed of a road vehicle in London traffic hasn't changed much in 100 years.

This gentleman walked all the properties - in the order they appear on the board! - in just over 12 hours. Using public transport and a more efficient ordering would considerably reduce this

timbo | 19.10.20 - 10:09 a.m. | #

I would like to play the DG version.

HASBRO, I KNOW YOU ARE READING - MAKE IT HAPPEN

R | 19.10.20 - 10:23 a.m. | #

Great article, and interesting comments too. It's always fun to hear how different people perceive London and how it fits together.

Old Kent Road always felt too far out for me, but that's probably my bias based on where I've lived over the years (a bit like if you asked someone to colour in 'Central London' on a map).

I think Coventry Street deserves the publicity, being a bit of an underdog to me as its such a key road that many people - especially tourists - use without knowing its name.

Maybe Jermyn Street over St James's Street? Brings in the opportunity for arguments about how it should be pronounced.

Peter of London | 19.10.20 - 10:23 a.m. | #

Marylebone Road is a bit too far west, and a bit "posh" perhaps to fit in with what are fairly low priced streets.

Thus I'd keep Pentonville Road, which is a bit more workaday, and thus have Euston Road, Pentonville Road and City Road, which also are directly connected on the map

Mikey C | 19.10.20 - 10:36 a.m. | #

I learnt to play Monopoly on a 1940S edition that belonged to my Dad. He still has it tucked away somewhere. It's a delight to take out and look at.

Cornish Cockney | 19.10.20 - 11:12 a.m. | #

My edition of Monopoly has Kings Cross St Pancras, Victoria, Liverpool Street and Paddington as stations.

daveid76 | 19.10.20 - 11:33 a.m. | #

I was stranded in London one Saturday night in 1972 due to a train strike. I walked the entire list of streets excluding Old Kent Road - but not in board order. London wasn't such a 24 hour city back then but I did have a nice chat with the policeman outside 10 Downing Street.

Peter | 19.10.20 - 11:57 a.m. | #

Comment from @fkyh on Twitter:

"London board arguably did not focus solely on famous/key streets, so modern version could take in more South London for balance, e.g. Tooley Street, Nine Elms Lane and Brixton Road. Could argue that airports should now replace rail."

diamond geezer | Homepage | 19.10.20 - 12:13 p.m. | #

Shame on you for kicking Marylebone station in to touch. Lovely old station saved from oblivion in 1980s alongside the old railway head office.
Switch Marylebone Road for Baker St, and reinstate Marylebone please.

scrumpy | 19.10.20 - 12:33 p.m. | #

I applaud the inclusion of Brick Lane just because I think that Beigel Bake make the best bagels ever 🤭

Kevin Too | 19.10.20 - 1:31 p.m. | #

As a former Sussex to London commuter, I too would find it impossible to exclude Victoria.

Sarah | Homepage | 19.10.20 - 2:14 p.m. | #

Glad to see the South London tally doubled, but the most glaring omission is that of Fulham Broadway, being the home of London's only European Champions and all.

Kev Hennessy | 19.10.20 - 4:02 p.m. | #

So if I get that 'Go back 3 spaces' card when I land on the Chance between Old Kent Road and Brick Lane I now land on Kensington Palace Gardens with a red plastic hotel and pay some sod £2000. It won't really change much then will it DG because that is what will always happen to me!

MO | 19.10.20 - 8:03 p.m. | #

Beigel Bake calls itself "Beigel Bake" because they bake and sell beigels, not "bagels". They do indeed sell the best beigels.

Gripper | 20.10.20 - 2:00 a.m. | #

Beigel' is indeed the traditional London pronunciation and spelling. "Bagel" is an Americanism.

Arlu | 20.10.20 - 11:22 a.m. | #











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