Monopoly - Mayfair

Monopoly - Dark Blue Square £400.

Our final square on the board. Mayfair the most expensive space to land.

Mayfair was named after the May Fair that was held in the area until 1764. It was moved as the locals felt it lowered the tone of the neighbourhood. (No wonder Guy Ritchie is having difficulty getting an extension of hours for his Mayfair Pub).
Most of the development of the area took place in the 17th and 18th centuries the largest landowners being the Rothschild's, Dukes of Westminster and The Grosvenors.
The United States has its huge embassy in Grosvenor Square (Mayfair) however they are moving to a less prestigious address for "security reasons".

You still have one more day to enter the competition to win a copy of Monopoly Revolution.
Winner announced tomorrow.

Monopoly - Luxury Tax

Monopoly Luxury Tax £100

The tax man always looking for something else to tax. Now even the Royals have come under their scrutiny. The Queen must now publish her annual accounts in the same manner as a public company.

Remember to enter the monopoly competition on this blog, final day for entries tomorrow, winner announced the day after.

Monopoly - Park Lane

Monopoly Dark Blue Square. £350

We are now in the most expensive area of our monopoly board. Park Lane was once a lovely country lane running alongside Hyde Park. How very different now. A major thoroughfare with big hotels, prestigious car sales and expensive apartment blocks.

If you've just popped in go to yesterday's post to enter the competition.

Monopoly - Chance

We have now reached the last chance square on the board. Our game has a special card that you have just picked up.

A chance to win Monopoly Revolution.

MONOPOLY for a new generation! MONOPOLY: Revolution Edition has sound effects and fun song clips from the past five decades, a round game board and an electronic unit that acts as an electronic banker. Celebrating the 75th anniversary of MONOPOLY,this contemporary version features updated “here and now” pricing so when you pass GO you receive a whopping £2 million! All Chance and Community Chest cards are now held in the electronic unit and each has a song or sound effect to really bring the game experience to life!

Ok to be in with a chance to win all you have to do is answer the following question:

Q: How many squares are there on the monopoly board?

Leave your answer in the comments of this blog or email me:
aglimpseoflondon@gmail.com.

You have until the end of the game is played. ie until we reach Mayfair. At the end of the day, of the Mayfair post, all correct entries will go into the red hat (previous competitors will be familiar with the red hat). The winner will be announced the following day.

Good Luck!

Monopoly - Fenchurch Station

Monopoly Board £200.

The first station constructed inside the city (that is the square mile known as The City of London), opening in 1841. One of the smallest train stations yet one of the busiest. All those city boys pouring into the banks each day to make their big bonuses.
This station doesn't link to the underground. Nearly had the jubilee line go through when that was constructed in 1999, but politics got in the way and it didn't eventuate. It is however just a weeny walk to Tower Hill that is a tube station.

Now blogger deserves a go to jail card in our game as they have been out of action for more than 24 hours. They are still trying to recover yesterday's postings. Fancy losing Bond St! All those millions. Don't worry I will bring it back if they haven't recovered it by tomorrow.

Monopoly - Bond Street

Monopoly green square £320.

You don't come here for the sales. Last year named the most expensive retail location in Europe. Luxury stores have been here since the early 18th century.
Expect security guards at the door of many of the stores. Designer labels, bespoke shoes, enormous handbags, (recently popular with the smash and grab moped gang. Jewellery so expensive they now have a digital version of tiaras for you to try on. (Perfect accessory for a royal wedding.) Pop into Sotheby's for a couple of old masters for the walls.

Monopoly - Community Chest

You know the square, pick up a card. Go to jail, get out of jail free, pay school fees, it's your birthday collect £10, Life insurance matures collect £100, Pay hospital fees of £100, etc.

In the UK if you have an accident you will be rescued. You will be treated in hospital and you wont be asked to show an insurance card first.
One of the organisations that may be called out to rescue you is the London Air Ambulance,. Road accidents, falls from heights, stabbings, shootings, all in a day's work for them.
They are a charity and need to raise funds. Last weekend a few brave souls abseiled off this building at Canary Wharf and convinced friends family and the general public to donate for their bravery or is that madness. Looked pretty scary to me.

Next fund raising event is a road race in July. You can enter or donate or both.

Monopoly - Regent Street

Monopoly green square. £300.

"They seek him here, they seek him there,
In Regent Street and Leicester Square. "

Where will you find these words?

A: "Dedicated follower of Fashion" Kinks 1966.

The very fashionable Regent Street was built in 1825, part of the town planning by architect John Nash, although with the exception of All Souls Church, none of his buildings exist today.

Ever since the Great Fire (1666) there had been plans to put some order into the warren of small streets and lanes, with the intention of making it commercial not residential. Christopher Wren had ideas based on a classical formal model but it was nearly 200 years later and Nash's plans of grand thoroughfares before Parliment approved any work.

Now every building in this street is a heritage building of at least Grade II status.
Events to look forward to are the Christmas lights, always opened by a celebrity areound the beginning of November. Taste of Spain in June.

Monopoly - Oxford St

Monopoly green Square. £300.

We have turned the corner and are on the last side of the board.

You need a much bigger wallet for this final stretch. Believe it or not Oxford Street forms part of the A40 following an old Roman road, although it is not intended as a major driving route anymore. Buses are generally backed up nose to tail making it quicker to walk. Be prepared for bruised shoulders however as this is possibly the most dense shopping street in Europe with 548 shops and thousands of people every minute of the day.
To ease congestion this diagonal crossing opened in 2009, the only one in central London. Not a good idea to cross once the lights have gone green for traffic, I've witnessed many accidents in this street.

Monopoly - Go to Jail

That dreaded square. Go directly to jail, do not pass Go do not collect £200.

Monopoly - Leicester Square

Monopoly yellow square. £260.

Named after the Earl of Leicester who owned a large plot of land with a flash house that he enclosed preventing people access to previous common land.
The public were rather cross with this situation and asked King Charles I to intervene. He asked the privy court to arbitrate. The court waved its authoritative finger at the Earl and gave a part of the his land to the public.

This area known as Leicester Field became popular for entertainment.
Now famous for movie theatres and red carpet star studded opening nights.

The square is undergoing major renovations at present so I have taken the above picture in the area known as the Swiss Court.
Shown is the Cantonal Tree. Erected in 1991 as part of the 700th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation as a token of friendship between Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The tree bears the arms of the twenty six cantons of Switzerland.

Monopoly - Piccadilly

Monopoly yellow square. £280.

Piccadilly a major street that runs from Hyde Park corner to Piccadilly Circus. Bring a big wallet to shop or stay. Tea at the Ritz? Chocolates from Fortnum and Mason? Wander down Piccadilly Arcade (pictured here) and order your shirts, British shoes or maybe buy a toy soldier or wedgewood china.

Monopoly - Coventry Street

Monopoly yellow square. £260.

Fast food and entertainment are the hallmarks of this short street that runs from Piccadilly to Leicester Square. Even in Victorian times it was known for its music halls.

Monopoly - Kings Cross Station

Monopoly £200.

Built in 1852 as the hub for the Great Northern Railway. The station and the area of Kings Cross named after King George IV.
Urban folklore is that this was the site of Queen Boudica's final battle and that her body lies somewhere under the current platform 10.

Monopoly - Trafalgar Square

Monopoly red square. £240.
Trafalgar Square one of the world's most famous places for protests and gatherings. Even the pigeons attempt large assemblies which hawks are brought in to manage.

Monopoly - The Strand

Monopoly red square. £220.

The Strand a street of Saxon origins, runs from Trafalgar Square to Fleet Street and marks the border of the City of London. Hundreds of years ago the high street of Westminster. Many grand houses with river side existed along the Strand. Somerset house one that still stands.

Monopoly - Fleet St

Monopoly red square. £220.

I've missed a corner square. Free parking. I couldn't find any in London!
Fleet St named after the Fleet river that now runs under it. In medieval times this river ran alongside London's wall. Close to Temple and the Knights of Templar.
Still an area of the legal fraternity. The Royal Courts of Justice the magnificent building in the photo.
Also famous for years as the newspaper street whose offices were all here until the 1980's.

Monopoly - Vine St

Monopoly orange square. £200.

The Jewish quarter of the East end. My secret find here was a section of the original London wall closed in the basement of the Metropolitan University on the corner of Vine and Jury Streets. I'll bring you more after further research of this quarter for you. One of my treasures on this trail.

Monopoly - Marlborough St

Monopoly orange square. £180.

This square differs depending on which monopoly board you are following. We are following the Ordnance Survey map see GO. This takes us over to SW3. An area of public housing since the beginning of the 20th century.
This apartment covered in hand prints caught my eye. The woman who lives here has fostered children most of her adult life. Currently fostering her 20th child, in 19 years. These prints are those of all those children. The star of our tour don't you think?

Monopoly - Bow Street

Monopoly Board orange square. £180.

Bow st runs along side the Royal opera House in Covent garden. An area steeped in history.
The first professional police forces originated here. In 1749 a group of just eight men known as the Bow St runners, a nickname they didn't like. They felt it a derogatory term. Working alongside the Bow St magistrates court they represented the first formalised and regulated policing. Finally disbanded in 1839.