If it's October it must be Mornington Crescent

[MarkWithaC]

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Although of course MC is a game for all seasons, I do have especially fond memories of an October championships in Wales and extracurricular… fun amid the greenery of a National Trust garden.

If I've missed anyone I do apologise; do round up any players you happen to see or hear of.

And I'll start with a lovely little move that the Reverend taught me.
Finsbury Park

I do apologise for disregarding Bergen in such a cavalier way. All I can say is that there has been much to distract me recently, not least my ongoing efforts to broker a detente between the carol singers and the curate.

Without further chat or ado, I offer us all a nice simple semi-parterre to Royal Oak.

A tentative Bromley-by-Bow?

Ooh! That means I can sail down to Cutty Sark.

We can always rely on you, Myrtle, to add some spice to our proceedings.

Greenwich

The DLR rule gets me to Lewisham.

I've checked and triple checked. I've asked the Emperor for his opinion and the Empress concurs.

The Speaker of the House agrees and HRH the Princess of Wales has declined to offer an opinion and we know what that means!

It's a midweek reverse shunt going northerly anticlockwise and it's

Mornington Crescent!

Magnificent work!

A midweek reverse shunt with a northerly anticlockwise twist is pure Latinate brilliance. The cardinal will be putting extra cardamon in his religious oats tonight.

I can’t speak for HRH as my lineage back to OG and my dust inheritance of the
skeleton in the cupboard at Croft Castle means I will never be invited to a mint julep on hallowed ground, but the Speaker’s nod seals it! And I know Attlee mini-fluff personally…

This was a gorgeous game and sorry for my chaotic nature, it’s in my training. But as the Winter Solstice looms, the cosmic ducks are well and truly in a row (or possibly a spiral, depending on the Emperor’s mood).

Mornington Crescent achieved with such flair and without a welly wangle in sight (as would befit the time of year and colour of the moss).

Bless you!

It was such a gorgeous move I couldn't believe it was possible. Hence the checking and rechecking...

It was chef’s kiss! You must have been up all night poring over the rules to check that it could actually be so sublime! Congratulations [deep bow… apologies for the creaking of the knees].

Oh, super! What a superlative end to a bracing and challenging game. I've certainly learnt a lot - and not all of it about the game of games - and look forward to the next instalment.

(As an unfashionably late comer, do the above moves indicate that Bromley-by-Bow was a sound move? Trying to understand, you see?)

Time for the winner to start the new game, I think.

Oh! Nicely played Myrtle! What a lovely move that was.

Only if it's pre-solstice Skyler. It wouldn't be permitted tomorrow, until the Equinox.

Today itself is always tricky. It's barely permitted, unless gates are westward AND one holds a Thames mudlarking licence. A combo which is as rare as hen's teeth.

Ah, the mudlarking licence. The bishop was about to get one, until the archdeacon let slip about that regrettable contretemps with the metal detectorist on the beach at Weston-super-Mare, so there's no chance now.

I suspect Myrtle is poring over the Compendium of Rules of MC (Festive Amendments and Concordance) planning her first move with her customary élan.

Well thank you all. I couldn't have done it without you and there were some beautiful moves that made the game a classic.

And thank you TragicMuse for explaining the pre Solstice manoeuvre. In fact, Skyler, that move was the root of the triple checking so when the Princess had nothing to say, I was delighted.

To the beginning again, and I warn you I will be playing intermittently due to my heavy commitments with the Superioress at the Vatican. Under consideration will be the formal adoption of the Overground lines into competition matches, assuming His Holiness can persuade the Conclave of Cardinals to agree by a two thirds majority. We've been working on this for some time and the official naming of the lines has rendered a big shift in favour, but some traditionalists are, well, traditional. The Superioress is hopeful but I'm sure you can understand the heavy administrative burden this places on me at this time of year.

And so, to Aldgate East, because we have to start somewhere and it may as well be here.

Oh, well done, Myrtle! Excellent play.
I only wish I'd been present for the closing moments of the game, but I've been unavoidably detained (I shan't bore you all with the details; suffice it to say I had to visit Matron for the usual reasons and there were issues on the branch line).

Mark, darling, a word to the wise. Myrtle gets rather agitated when people comment on the game without placing a move. I suggest you make amends toot sweet. I meanwhile will make a double loop with lateral extension to

Waterloo

Interesting to start in the east, which is rare, indeed I cannot recall such a start this century.

Parson's Green as it is so near the festive season.

Belated congratulations, Myrtle, what a stonker of a finish!

More festive appropriations with Angel.

I've been getting ready for Midnight Mass. His Eminence muttered something about "hot" and "favourite". He meant for the solo in Once In Royal David's City, surely? I can't imagine he would refer to anything unbecoming to a gentleman in holy orders...although one's mind does stray to the Borgias and his Holiness' distinctly unusual domestic arrangements.

St Paul's

Ah, St Paul’s - a pivotal spot, especially given Post-Solstice Rule Seven. Time for a Lunar Leap across the Thames to Borough.

Challenge me if you must, but may I remind you of the Chimera Clause which I double-checked with the Arch Druid over pine cone cocktails at one minute past midnight this morning. (Don’t tell the Bishop, he wouldn’t understand and his fallen arches are playing him up once more - someone removed the keystone).

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Things are getting rather fraught, as they so often do at this time of year. I shall try to calm the situation with a soothing demi-turn to

Oval

Merry Christmas one and all! Dashing in before I enjoy the Duke's turkey and trimmings. Maybe it's an early sherry talking here, but Richmond.

I'm so pleased to see you, Seaside1234! I was worried that my demi-turn had left other players in a virtual lock, but I'm reassured that it's simply the pre-prandial sherry speaking.

Leicester Square