When nothing else will do - Mornington Crescent anyone?

[NicolaMarlowsMerlin]

Feels like we could all do with a robust tournament round about now. May I start?

I know this is cheeky, but I’ll begin with...

...Osterley

Before we ossify, let's move to Holloway Road.

One stop before the weekend- Arsenal

You've left me no choice. I wish to invoke the Cumberland Concordat and proceed to Marble Arch without delay.

Just a quick word before I play to anyone thinking of buying the Mornington Crescent board game this Christmas. Don't! It's rubbish and doesn't stick to any accepted Mornington Crescent rules.

Ok ... I'm taking the cheeky but obvious hop straight to Notting Hill

@KeepHimJolene thanks for letting everyone know. In your haste you forgot to add the 'gate' to Notting Hill Gate. Never mind, I will move westwards to East Acton.

At the risk of appearing outré, I'm invoking the Stoppard gambit; Russell Square.

Ooh get you FairlyOddMother! In the same vein, I’m using the Pinter procedure to move to Marylebone

Oh, well played FairlyOddmother. I haven't witnessed a Stoppard gambit since the Lyon championships in '83.

Presumably a return to Bank is permissible under the circumstances?

Many apologies for joining this game so late. The Adjutant General and I have been self-isolating in a ski lodge in Trondheim (so bracing) and I’d missed the announcement.

I’ve been thumbing through the Compendium of Rules (needed to remind myself of the finer nuances of the Paris Amendment of 2018) and think my best option now is

Theydon Bois

Maud! So good to have you back. Glad to see Paris has been fully accepted here. I will therefore move us on to

Bounds Green

Thank you! It's good to be back. I would have been here sooner, but the Adjutant General and I are were rather pre-occupied. You know how it is.

Following that daring and barely legal move, and in accordance with the 1957 Concordat,

Balham

Welcome back Maud. Lovely to hear from you as it has not been the same without you.

The 1957 Concordat is indeed a brave move. Forces me to use the rail replacement rule and tram one to get me to Wimbledon

You are most kind, nosswith. I venture to suggest that we veterans of the game of games, who were at the Baden Baden conference in '74, can take the long view of the game's evolution, but it's good to see that we have some younger players here who are more au fait with recent developments.

I venture a bifurcated lateral shunt to

Seven Sisters

I would be delighted to be viewed as a younger player Maud, although to be honest “newer” might be more accurate. However I shall endeavour to appear youthful with a nifty diagonal chasse to Warren Street.

In the hope that esteemed veterans and newer players alike won’t find this too pedestrian, may I venture to take us to

Dollis Hill

As it is getting dark, we cannot venture into Gladstone Park so a move to Neasden for some food seems appropriate.

Oof. I didn’t see that coming.

Penge East

Applying the first diktat from the Fairport Convention I proffer King William Street

The use of the closed lines rule, which I now use to travel to Highbury and Islington

Oh dear, oh dear. What a predicament.

High Street Kensington

Ah very good move Maud. I shall counter with a saucy move to Westminster

I shall follow up these two good moves by one to Temple.

And I relish the opportunity to complete the set with the winning move from the 1979 world championship - by taking us to Regent’s Park

Ah, the 1979 world championship. Wasn’t that the one at which the Archbishop was disqualified after playing an illegal loop to Turnpike Lane and sending several players into knockings? Or was that ‘77? How quickly one forgets, but memories of those heady days inspire me to attempt

Hainault

It’s a privilege to play in such esteemed company.

I hope you won’t think me too avant- garde if I play
Latimer Road