Mornington Crescent rides again

[Andrewofgg]

Maida Vale. Just to make it difficult.

1923 was indeed a difficult year for the game of games with the absence of members of the Grand Council. As the 'Goat' the former PM David Lloyd George had ensured they were in separate prisons (presumably so no comments about liaisons with the wives of the men of the Council could be spread), the Council was inquorate for several months.

Moving from Reading to Hayes and Harlington.

You should be ashamed at peddling such myths, Maud. The gnu, indeed.

It was an okapi, as you know full well. You told me yourself (after downing a bit more Albanian plum brandy than was consistent with discretion) that your great-uncle was the keeper at the Honolulu Zoo who was bribed to supply wretched beast.

Damn Lloyd George. He had been a moderately good Crescenter himself but gave the game up in 1914 when the ever-infamous Lord Northcliffe reminded his readers that Emperor Franz Josef had once spoken well of it.

Sunbury.

Okapi? Honolulu? You're fabricating things again, Andrew, much as you did when you had hastily to improvise a raft to get you away from that little contretemps by Lake Geneva after the '71 semifinals.

Russell Square

I am surprised you dare mention that Maud - but we had a lot of fun on that raft, didn’t we? At least till it sprang a leak and so did you.

In honour of the family after whom the entire area is named

Tiverton

I think the station is now for some reason called Tiverton Parkway, but the Council probably wishes us to use 1948 names, especially as the London and North Eastern Railway is about to resume.

I think a move to Castle Cary for an evening's refreshment is in order.

We all know what Saints means by an evening’s refreshment and I have had to pull strings and call in favours - but when she is taken from the cells she will appear before two magistrates who are keen Crescenters and one whose photo with her Dachshund and her hamster is safe in the vaults of my lawyers in Zurich - and she will get off with a fine. This time.

But we had all better make ourselves scarce and it’s a long way to Tipperary

Oh dear my taste in libation has been found out. Those present at the game of games in Suffolk in 1998 were sworn to secrecy, or may be it is their revenge for my playing Turnham Green after 10pm.

I need the ferry rule to bring us back to Fishguard and then continue to Llanelli.

Saints Anyone who can read between the lines of provincial journalism and had a copy of the Framlingham Monthly News and Pigbreeders’ Gazette has known all about your little . . . weakness for years. You need to stay away from the Albanian plum vodka.

Ross-on-Wye

Who dares wins

Hereford

Oh Maud - you really should think before you post. You cannot have been unaware that what you said would put Pembroke Dock into lock-down for forty-eight hours. And on the usual day when the Deputu Mayor and the woman who plays trombone in the Sally Ann have their little, er, get-together!

Slaithwaite.

I have to say Maud has reminded me of one of my ancestors. Whose grandson's wife is almost certainly a player of the game of games, even though currently living abroad. As for brass instruments, they have never appeared in my house, though bring an interesting take on church hymns.

Before yet more Northern Rail trains are cancelled, I move to Leeds.

If you mean who I think you mean it’ll be a cold day in hell when she goes anywhere an extradition warrant can reach her. Everything else might have been overlooked but the incident with the haggis and the blancmange - no. If the good people of Mongolia can accept her presence among them, well, that’s their business.

Burley-in-Wharfedale.

Eastbourne

You know it makes sense

Have to agree that with the through services across London (when they run) the game of games takes on a new dimension. Though I use the closed lines and heritage lines rules to move to Horsted Keynes.

And I fulfil a long-cherished wish to play the Half-same rule on a Sunday to

Milton Keynes

because I have always known that one day there would be a reason to go there!

Well, anything that mentions Slaithwaite grabs my attention... I have read the full thread and have to ask "what the f* is going on here?".

(Wikipedia helped, a little...)

Sad Tears If you don’t know, you don’t need to know. If you need to know, you know.

You might like to watch the MC channel. You will need a plug-in for your television called a horizontal equivolator. Instructions on how to get it are broadcast on the MC channel.

If you study diligently you can reach the level of Candidate Junior Adept in about twelve years. Good luck and see you in *Hexham+.

Ah. We have an apprentice. Excellent - there’s been a vacancy since the last one went missing in Vienna in ‘87, after the heat in which the borough engineer attempted a doomed longitudinal shunt to Paris Gare du Nord.

But I digress

Crewe

I welcome our newest player to the game of games- I am sure that over time the new Crescenter will pick up the finer points of the game. As for Vienna in '87, the Scottish singer known as Midge Ure had caused enough trouble in that fine city before the competition, so the missing apprentice was no surprise.

The highways and byways of Cheshire and Staffordshire are best viewed from a train, and so I take one through these counties to the place where Gay Meadow has no sexual connotations, Shrewsbury. Where that ancient form of transport the coracle was in use until but a few years ago.

Sad Tears Come on in, the water is lovely, and nobody will criticise your first move even if it is as wrong as Maud's was, all those years ago, hey Maud, remember Prague '23?

A hint. If you are on the Eastbound platform of Temple Station between 10.00 and 11.00 on the third Sunday of an odd-numbered month and character approaches you wearing a three-quarter length daffodil-coloured dress (if male) or a three-piece pinstripe with a white shirt and an old Etonian tie (if female) s/he will give you a valuable hint to get you started.

Shrewsbury is also best viewed from a train; a train leaving it for anywhere. It's only the most advanced types round there who have a coracle. The others just use a hollowed-out log.

Bewdley.

Before the end of the month of May, a move up the Severn to Kidderminster courtesy of the heritage lines rule.

Now that June is here and we have to have Rule 123(b)(vii) (as amended at Pretoria in ‘79) very much in mind - let’s go somewhere a little off the beaten track: Clitheroe. We will no doubt be reminded why it is off the beaten track.

I saw the President of the Royal College of Surgeons this morning - released without charge again, how does he get away with it? He says the tattoo is healing well and he hopes to be sitting down again by Sunday. And good news: he expects to be at Little Rock in ‘19 - and he is bringing the husband, the wife, and the guinea pigs!

Aha, I see the game is afoot with the usual reprobates and some fresh blood! For God's sake don't tell the Archbishop we have a newcomer until the poor chap or chapess has a few rounds under their belt. The last apprentice couldn't sit down for a week after the communion sherry was spiked during the initiation ceremony and things got sadly out of hand.
I am currently on the isle of Orkney and so will have to play a rural recidivation to Inverness, invoking para 5, section 3 on protection of livestock in case the Brigadier should join us. We do NOT want a repeat of THAT incident!

Oh, I am not so sure, the Brigadier lightens things up - especially when she brings the ant-eater - anyone remember Kathmandu?

Now, the big news of the day. I am told by source sure that in the small hours of today the rozzers picked up all Mummy Pingu’s exes - why the hell else do you think Visa crashed - and they all sang like canaries. The full story of Donegal ‘83 is going to be revealed at the Old Bailey and every fashionable QC in the trade will be there. The Trial of the Century!

Invergordon.

Dear God Andrew. If The real truth about Donegal comes out we are going to have to pull Frankie the Faker out of Panama and set him to work on new identities toot sweet.
Poor Maude will be reluctant to endure more surgery. I mean, there is being gender fluid and then there is Maude! Or is it Malcolm?
I play a swift pas a double to Perth and rush off to call my legal team