I ended the day two blisters on the soles of my feet, sunburnt and exhausted. But it was worth it. If you think playing Monopoly takes a long time, it has got nothing on walking it! It took all day and I covered 30km. I’m not exaggerating. No wonder my feet are killing me.
You know the hypothetical conversation starter “if you could have dinner with anyone who would it be?” I have a new answer: Victor Watson and Marjory Phillips. They scouted locations in London for the UK version of Monopoly. After visiting every site on it, I’m curious how and why each one was chosen. Some make sense such as Oxford St, Regent St and Trafalgar Square. Others just don’t (I’m talking about you Old Kent Rd). And then there are the omissions such as Hyde Park or Downing St.
So why walk the Monopoly Board? A lot of people have asked and I don’t have a great answer. Why does anyone want to go anywhere when they travel? Usually they know of a place and want to see it. I guess that’s all it was. I love the board game and while there are Australian versions, I grew up with the UK edition. I was always the hat and tried to buy up Regent St, The Strand and Trafalgar Square. Places such as Kings Cross Station, Mayfair and Oxford St have only ever been coloured rectangles on a board for me and I wanted to see what they were like.
Unlike the board game, I had only one rule. No public transport.
I started at Marylebone Station, which wasn’t too far from my hostel. Next stop, Oxford St, although reaching there brought quick rewards, with a few more targets close by. I ticked off Bond St, Mayfair, Park Lane and Pall Mall. By the time I reached Trafalgar Square my feet were so weary I refreshed them in the fountain. Next came Whitehall, Northumberland Ave and The Strand and a few turns later I arrived at Piccadilly Circus. So far I’d covered a few shopping districts and a lot streets lined with grand houses, so coming across Piccadilly Circus and the Leicester Square and Coventry St was a little shock to the system. Regent St seemed quite sedate after all of that.
There seems to be no logic or planning in the selection of the places on the board. It took a bit of backtracking to get to Fleet, Marlborough, Vine and Bow streets. Then it was a bit of a hike to Kings Cross Station, Euston Rd and Pentonville Rd.
When I hit the neighbourhood of Islington I got to have a break. Angel Islington isn’t a street, it’s a pub. Apparently it was where the creators met to discuss the places on the board so they commemorated that by putting the Angel on their too. I commemorated that with a drink!
Liverpool St Station was another big walk. The thought of abandoning my no public transport rule crossed my mind.
The quest also had me wondering why some places were chosen. As I walked along Whitechapel Rd looking for a street sign to snap, I ended up in a not-so-nice area. The area was very run down and I felt a little unsafe. I walked fast, found my sign and walked back.
I collected my last station at Fenchurch Station and then it was time to cross the Thames.
My walk took me past some of the big sights of London, although Buckingham Palace and Westminster had all taken a back seat in my search for Monopoly streets. Now it was time to cross the Tower Bridge and for the first time I took a moment to take in the city. I had the most gorgeous day for it, although I’d dressed for cooler weather.
It was crossing the Tower Bridge I desired another conversation with Victor and Marjory. Every place on the board was on the north side of the Thames. Except Old Kent Rd. It was a 5km walk from the city. Why, oh, why? (This was my feet screaming by this stage.) Once my map told me I was there I had to walk another 1km for the photographic evidence. Eventually, the game was done.
I went straight to the pub.
I didn’t pass Go.
