The sport of kings: Mornington Crescent

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Good morning, all. What better way to begin the long weekend than a new game of the ineffable Mornington Crescent? All are welcome - veterans and newbies alike.

To set the tone, I will start with one of my favourite moves - a double shunt to

Kew Gardens

Oh, how droll. I was there earlier this evening, for the Adjutant’s schnapps and mahjong party. Quite diverting but not, of course, on the rarified level of the game of games.

Victoria

The only place for a swim followed by a Samosa is

Bethnal Green

many a game of MC played in York Hall Russian Spa -last time I saw the actress I seem to remember.

@VegimalCrudite, am I correct in remembering that there have sometimes been Outlaw MC games unfolding in the Turkish steam rooms at York Hall? One has to be very careful in choosing one's spa options there. As the Finnish Ambassador can testify.
DLR Sunday exception to Pudding Mill Lane.

York Hall and unofficial versions of the game of games is news to me.

A move to Upney

Oh well, from Upney the rational next move must be Hackney Downs…

That’s using the Snakes and Ladders variant, of course.

I don't know if I have the authority to use the Weaver line rule, but will do so anyway.

Chingford.

Having had the 'delight' of London in last weeks heatwave, I avoided the underground and chose to walk or bus or bike instead. Therefore I am going for a place with all the transport modes: Liverpool Street

I am pleased to tell you that a colleague of mine also plays the game of games. A suggestion on Friday of a game was not met with enough support, as I think you need at least six people for it to be a good game.

Bromley by Bow

How disappointing, LlynTegid. Perhaps some of your junior colleagues might be convinced to make their first tentative moves into the game of games? I heard both Sven and Samantha might be willing to get down to it in the board room.

Tower Hill

Bearing in mind the recent heatwave and bearing in mind that the Met line trains have air-conditioning I'm going off to Harrow on the Hill

How delightful! I am inexorably drawn, as is so often the case, to Hainault.

IYKYK. IDK.

Another long absence, chaps; I do apologise.
Funnily enough, I had the pleasure of the company of the Finnish ambassador a couple of evenings ago. We both avoided talk of the Turkish steam rooms, for obvious reasons.
And speaking of matters Finnish, I'm going to use the quarter-line rule ratified last time we were all in Helsinki and say Park Royal

I am aware the French have an inferior game called Chatelet Les Halles, but not about any other countries, including Finland.

Ickenham

I believe connoisseurs in Finland floated the idea of an equivalent national game some years ago, but there were too many conflicting ideas as to the rules. What works for MC does not necessarily translate. As the French found out when they first dry-ran ClH in Marseille and there was a riot in the conference centre.

Upminster, I think, using Jencke's Exception.

In accordance Rule 123b around 'unwarranted corporate consolidation' and, keeping in mind that Sven and Samantha are currently extremely busy 'merging assets' and 'aligning synergies' on the mahogany table in the boardroom according to @ComeIntoTheGardenMaud,I shall bypass the entire Northern Line completely to avoid interrupting them.
My move is back to good old: Goodge Street.

I don't like consolidation. The game of games was badly affected by the consolidation of the City and South London Railway with the Hampstead tube into the Northern line in the 1920s.

I move via Leicester Square onto the Piccadilly line and Gloucester Road.

Hmm. The extreme temperature is likely to send many lines into knockings, but I think I can safely reach

Great Portland Street

There's consolidation and consolidation, though.
If I use the same rationale, but with an Earth-tilted Seventh, I can safely say Chorleywood

Very much tilted, if you don’t mind my saying so.

Totteridge and Whetstone

With thoughts of the earth tilting and changing, one of the biggest changes in London at the time of it's creation was Barbican. Such a brutalist yet homely place, I encourage all to visit if you have never been, particularly the plant house and upper level park areas.

Lancaster Gate. I think?

If Mercury is in retrograde, which, I gather, it is.