Time for another game of Mornington Crescent

[tectonicplates]

I'm going to start with High Street Kensington. A classic start, if I do say so myself.

Bounds Green? The last time that station was played with interchanges low (by the visiting Sheikh, as I’m sure many of you recall), there was very nearly an international incident. Reckless move at best, coffeeagogo. I’ll try to salvage the situation by taking us to Temple, but I’m relying on the next player to refrain from invoking the Leicestershire Amendment (appendix II, paragraph VI).

The walking rule and the closed stations rule must be invoked at this point to avoid the Leicestershire Amendment.

Aldwych

Thank you, Saints, for restoring some sanity to our play. It's a tad predictable, I know, but I'm going to do a longitudinal drift to

Southwark

A nice underarm throw there, Maud. I’m torn between a classic castle along the Jubilee line to Bond Street, or a trickier diagonal shuffle to Burnt Oak. Given your long pedigree in the game, though, and given next year is a leap year which would mean the Debden Amendment will shortly regain validity, I feel confident that a shunt to Chalk Farm might see us at Mornington Crescent in five moves, so I’ll opt for that.

Could everyone just stand up a minute while I brush the Colonel out from under the table?

Thank you.

As you were.

Ah, Phonic, so that's where he was. We've been waiting for him to play a move since June 2017, when he achieved that epic counter-clockwise Peregrine to Perivale. He's been sleeping it off ever since (not helped, of course, by his regular consumption of creme de menthe in a pint glass). As you've done us such a service, I won't reprimand you for intervening without actually playing a move. The Duchess would have been less lenient.

Arnos Grove

I wish I understood this game!

Thank goodness, Phonic. I was hoping someone would have the decency to remove him. Of course, this now means we can no longer play by the military version of the rules, but that does fortunately open up looped moves to any player not yet in Nidd.

I see there are many fiendishly tricky players here. However, may I interject with a Lateral Wainscot move to Tooting Bec taken from the 1957 rule book.

Having been backed into a corner I feel the only way out is the Trumpington Amendment and so, it can only be Hammersmith!

Bayswater.

@Pasithea what a breathtakingly audacious move. I take it you employed the Corbyn shunt (amended version 2019) there? In that case I'm forced to say Chancery Lane.

Since it's after midnight on a Saturday can I invoke privileges to use Imperial Measures and mosey down to Caledonian Road?

Excuse me. I hand my hands full-so to speak. Ahem

Gants Hill, I’m never quite sure about Gants Hill but since it’s now October?

I believe Gants Hill is acceptable given it's the first waxing crescent after the first of the month and the month begins with O (Rees Mogg rules c1928). Well played that woman, well played.

Oh dear, Keeoe, you too interjected without actually playing a move. That puts us perilously close to going into Nidd, which would be very hard to shift this close to Harvest Festival. Do check the Codicil to the Compendium if you’re unclear about the rules and try harder from now on.

Heathrow Terminal 4

Morning, dawn shift arriving. Move aside please.

...

Well, I'm not sure what rules the night shift have been playing, but I will slide us swiftly over to Penge West and say no more.

Heathrow?

Rayners Lane

Of course the introduction of the Oyster card changed everything. In the long run-up to Christmas, Turkey Street.

Oyster cards are of course so Noughties, as you can use this gadget called a phone or your debit card without this thing called a ticket. It definitely paved the way for the London Overground rule, not as was alleged, a name conjured up by the Colonel whilst his granddaughter was watching re-runs of The Wombles.

Using the London Overground rule again I move to Theobolds Grove.

Oyster cards will never be passé. I’m very attached to mine and make sure my butler carries it every time we venture onto the underground railway.

Ealing Broadway

I don't think we have been to North Acton in this game yet. So let us go there.

Excellent move. And I’ll follow up with Stratford. A good solid Central Line move which should take us safely away from Nidd.

Haven’t played for a while but I’m hoping that Warren Street is an acceptable next move.

Interesting use of the London Overground rule to get to Warren Street. Via Highbury and Islington.

So the next move should be a simple one to Euston.