Hi-di-hi,

Well first things first, Thursday ought to be a quality day and am very much looking forward to getting pretty hammered and seeing a good crew out wrecking up the monopoly board.  From what I've read on various websites only gayboys have attempted this crawl before; a lot complained they didn't finish it in time, some people 'reinvented' the route of the monopoly board and one set of guys who were trying to do it properly had tried (unsuccessfully) four times!!!  I'm not saying this as a means of attempting to put anyone off coming along, as it will be awesome day, but rather to inspire you to be well up for a challenge that so many have failed at.

THE CHALLENGE:

After much (little) debate with various people (dave at crush last night) we've (I've) decided to 'just' go to every property (and station in order).  There's a couple of queer stops like liverpool street station being nowhere near either the greens or the purples (which in fact are right next to each other) but as long as we don't mince about too much and drink our drinks at a reasonable pace it should be no trouble.  I've started a little bit of forward planning - like finding out where the fuck vine street is etc, but at the moment that 'research' is at uni and won't be up till either tomorrow or later this afternoon - depending on my laziness.

There's (only) 26 stops, so should be a walk in the park for all experienced cirlce liners or heavy drinkers.  In each pub you have the delictable choice of having either a half pint, a bottle o' beer, shot or shot + mixer.  Traditionally me and yatesy (and tom 2nd cirlce line) have the same drinks as each other which is quite a nice way of doing it.  Though you can just do straight vodkas the whole day (tom first circle line - crazy mo' fo').  We'll be doing rounds, so plan ahead to make sure you don't get lumbered with Mayfair, infact if there's a lot of us it may be easier to manager to smaller groups doing rounds - rather than balling up giving it "12 gins please".

THE PEOPLE

There's the potential of being a fair few people - but hey the more the merrier as long as all are happy drinking lots and fighting policemen at subway.  Feel free to tell me if I've missed you but so far I'm reckoning: Me, Tom, Oli, Dave (plus couple of uni buds), Yatesy (plus Ellie + Dan B?), Marn, Noonan, Gra possibly Anna, Amanda and Rach if they get their act together.

THE DAY

Thursday 20th January.

I assume those not from Reading may be coming up the night before, and I'm sure between us we'll be able to find a place for them to sleep.  I'm still up for suggestions... but I think provsionally we ought to meet at Old Kent Road at 10.30 with an aim to get our first drink at 11.  If you're not their by eleven you may be playing catch up, but we'll probably wait for you.  I will be there at 10.30 looking for a breakfast place and of course all are welcome to come join me for that.  So come 11, I always feel a shot is the best way to start the day... and we'll move on from there.

(Coming soon, definitive list of stops and stations, also where they all are - lousy Fenchurch).

THE (ahem) DEFINITIVE GUIDE

Old Kent Road

What a queer place to start, meet at Elephant and Castle bus along New Kent Road to reach Old Kent Road.  Or we could start at the other end near New Cross Gate with a view of being able to quickly get to Whitechapel. 

Tube: Elephant and Castle/New Cross Gate.

Whitechapel

On the tube though a bit out of the way, apparently turn right out of the station and walk for a pub.  (If you get a bus right down to the other end of Old Kent Road you come to New Cross Gate – on the same East London Line as Whitechapel). 

Tube: Whitechapel.

King’s Cross

The old Lucas Arms, known well from Circle Line experiences – though apparently there’s a bar on platform 6?

Tube: King’s Cross St Pancras.

Angel

My old local Wetherspoon’s opposite the station. 

Tube: Angel.

Euston Road

Ordered ‘wrongly’ in row. That you have to go past Pentonville to get to Euston.  Come out of King’s Cross – Pentonville to the East, Euston Road to the West. 

Tube: King’s Cross St Pancras.

Pentonville Road

Straight outta King’s Cross on your right (East). 

Tube: King’s Cross St Pancras.

Pall Mall

Apparently hard to find a pub, North West side of Trafalgar Square.

Tube: Charing Cross (or walk south from Piccadilly Circus).

Whitehall

Massive road directly South of Trafalgar Square. 

Tube: Charing Cross

Northumberland Avenue

Road just off the South East side of Trafalgar Square, in fact it is one road round anti-clockwise from the North end of Whitehall. 

Tube: Charing Cross

Marylebone Station

Apparently there’s a station bar, so we ought to be alright, not on the circle line – so Bakerloo o’ Clock.

Tube: Marylebone

Bow Street

Surprisingly close to Covent Garden – straight up Wellington road from where Aldwych meets strand at west side. 

Tube: Covent Garden

Marlborough Street

(Actually called GREAT MARLBOROUGH ST, though there is a Marlborough street miles down South Ken way) Runs parallel (south) to Oxford Street, walk down Regent Street – turn left.

Tube: Oxford Circus.

Vine Street

Tiny little street near Piccadilly circus. Walk along Piccadilly, second right you’ll see a sign saying Vine Street (no pubs on Vine Street though)

Tube : Piccadilly circus

The Strand

Weirdly ordered as in the middle of the three ‘reds’, if you use temple sort of comes out where fleet street/strand meet.  

Tube: Charing Cross, Temple

Fleet Street

Back towards the city.

Tube: Temple

Trafalgar Square

Get a bus along from Fleet Street

Tube: Charing Cross.

Fenchurch St Station

Weirdly stuck in the middle of Tower Hill, Monument and Aldgate. 

Tube: Tower Hill (5 mins north)

Leicester Square

Moon under water spoons

Tube: Leicester Square.

Coventry Street

Cheeky joining road that links Leicester Square and Piccadilly tube stops (off Haymarket)

Tube : Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus

Hopefully there’ll still be a pub around this area we haven’t visited yet.

Tube : Piccadilly circus

Regents Street

On a junction with Oxford Street.

Tube:  Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus (South end of Regent Street)

Oxford Street

Nuff said, though the pub that first springs to mind is at the Tottenham Court end of the Street, perhaps not “nuff said”.

Tube: Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Street.

Bond Street

Central line, one stop away from Oxford Street/Green Park.

Tube: Bond Street

Liverpool St Station

Another famous Circle Line destination, Hamilton Hall, Spoons, no question.

Tube: Liverpool Street Station.

Park Lane

Runs vertically down the west side of Mayfair

Tube: Marble Arch (north end), Hype Park Corner (south end)

Mayfair

Pretty big area – there’s somewhere called Mayfair place right next to Green Park – otherwise the area is surrounded by tube stops.

Tube: Green Park, Bond Street, Marble Arch

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So there you have it Ladies and Gents.  I'm up for any comments or ideas.  I recommend someone brings a London A-Z because I will forget, I'd just like to say thank you to streetmap.co.uk and to the most helpful (despite being backwards) Crazy Kids. 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Dirrections

Every stop in order and how to get there. Obvously may have to go to some different pubs but this should be quite close to the actual route.

Monopoly Challenge 2005

Outside Elephant & Castle tube station the 1, 53, 63, 172, 188, 363 and 453 buses go to Old Kent Road from bus stop E near the tube station. Once on the bus, continue over the large roundabout and alight at the Bricklayer's Arms stop. Walk back to the roundabout and go right up Tower Bridge Road. You will see The George on your right.

Cross Tower Hill Road outside The George and get the 42 or 78 bus from the bus stop there. This will take you north across Tower Bridge. Carry on past Tower Gateway and up to Aldgate. Get off the bus and walk down Aldgate High Street, across Middlesex street (under the subway) and onto Whitechapel. The pub is just to the left beyond the tube station.

This is optional stop if you are attempting stations as well. Walk down to Aldgate East tube station and take the Hammersmith and City line to King's Cross. Head for Platform 8 to find Coopers.

From Whitechapel: Walk down to Aldgate East station. Take the Hammersmith & City line to Moorgate and then switch to the Northern Line to Angel. The pub is just across the road from the station. From Kings Cross: Take the bus from King's Cross back up the road to Angel.

Leave the pub and turn right. Cross the road and and head down the left side of Pentoville road. The 30,73 and 214 buses will go to King's Cross. The O'Neills is just across the street.

Back on the bus from outside King's Cross up Pentoville Road. The Castle is on the right-hand side of the road about halfway up.

Go back down Pentoville Road to King's Cross and take the Picadilly line to Green Park. Turn right out of the station and walk down Picadilly to St. James Street on the right. Walk down St. James Street until you reach King Street on the left. You should see the Golden Lion on the right hand side, but it will probably be closed. If so, walk down Crown Passage (to the right of the Golden Lion) to reach the Red Lion.

Go down Crown Passage to Pall Mall and turn left. Continue until you reach Waterloo Place, cross the road and continue up Pall Mall. Go down Cockspur Street and continue on the right hand side to Whitehall. Carry on round the corner, past the Whitehall Theatre. The Lord Moon of the Mall is on the right.

Turn left out of the pub and walk up to Trafalgar Square. Cross the road, and take the first road on the right (Northumberland Avenue). Walk down the road and you'll see The Sherlock Holmes ahead on the left at the bottom of Northumberland Street.

Walk up Northumberland Street and turn right to Charing Cross. Descend into the tube station and take the Bakerloo line to Marylebone. Enter the station, and go right to the end, where you will find the pub on your left.

From Northumberland Aveneue: Outside the pub turn right and walk up Northumberland Street. Turn right onto the Strand and walk down pass teh Aldwych (Chicago) theatre on the left. Trun left just in front of Aldwych up Wellington Street, which becomes Bow Street. The Marquess is just past the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. From Marylebone: Take the Bakerloo line again, this time changing at Piccadilly Circus for the Piccadilly line. Take the Picadilly line to Covent Garden. Come out of the station and turn right, walking along Long Acre (away from the Piazza and thus avoiding the crowds). Turn right onto Bow Street and the pub is on the left.

Come out of the Marquess and turn right back up Bow Street. Turn right at the end and walk down Long Acre/Great Queen Street to Kingsway. Turn left and walk up to Holborn tube station. Take the central line to Oxford Circus, exit on the SE corner and walk back toward Tottenham Court Road. Take the first road on teh right (Argyll Street) and Malborough Street is on the left with O'Neills on the corner of Carnaby Street.

Walk down Carnaby Street onto Beak Street. Turn right then left onto Regent Street. Cross the road when you can. As Regent Street start to curve round, cut through to Picadilly. Turn right and continue until you see Swallow Street on your right. Walk up it and you'll see Vine Street to your right. A little further up Swallow Street is the Swallow Street Bar.

Go back out onto Fleet Street and continue walking. There is a McDonalds if more take-away food is required. You can get a bus, but it's easier to walk down. Go past the Royal Courts of Justice, past the BBC World Service in Bush House, and the church on an island in the centre of the road. Just past Waterloo Bridge we enter the Strand where you should see The Wellington straight ahead.

Cross the road (with care), and get the 11, 15 or 23 from stop F to Fleet Street. Stop before you reach Ludgate Hill and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is in a (signposted) passage to your left.

Take the 11, 15 or 23 back up to Charing Cross. Cross the Strand in front of the station and take the little "slip road" (Duncannon Street) towards Trafalgar Square/Charing Cross road. The pub is just on the left.

This is where it becomes a bit of a shag if you're doing stations. The round trip here is likely to add 30 minutes onto the time. Go back around the corner to Charing Cross and walk down to embankment tube station. Take the District Line to Tower Hill. Come out of the station and turn left and then left again onto the Minories. Continue up Minories and turn left into Crosswall. Continue straight through Crutched Friars until the road becomes Hart Street. At which point take the turn to the right, past The Goose pub and into the square. Enter Fenchurch Street station and go up the escalator. The Raven is behind and to the right. On the last visit, construction work had blocked up the main station entrance, and The Raven appeared to be closed.

From Trafalgar Square: Come out of the pub and turn left. Turn right at Trafalgar Square and walk up Charing Cross Road away from the square. Cross the road at the zebra crossing just past the National Portrait Gallery. Take a left up the pedestrianised Irving Street which will lead you into Leicester Square. Just round the corner past the Odeon you'll see The Moon Under Water.

Take a diagonal route across Leicester Square and exit by the Swiss Centre to your right. Here might be a good place for eating - there is a McDonalds, a KFC and a Pizza Hut if you're very ahead of schedule. Cross Whitcomb Street into Coventy Street and then take the first left down Oxenden Street. The Comedy is about halfway down on the right.

Back up to Conventry Street and turn left towards Piccadilly Circus. Cross Piccadilly Circus to Piccadilly and walk down until you get to Fortnum and Mason. Biaggio is on the left (its easy to miss) and you have to go upstairs to the cocktail bar. Beware! Many a pub crawl has foundered on the lovely cocktails here.

Turn right out of the bar onto Piccadilly. Walk along until you can cut up through to Regent street (where you came earlier to get to Vine Street). It may be worth getting a bus here on you can walk all the way up Regent Street, across Oxford Street until you reach the All Bar One on you left, on the corner of Magaret Street.

Walk back down Regent Street and turn right onto Oxford Street. About 200 yards on the left turn into Woodstock Street. The Woodstock is just round the corner.

Come out of the pub and follow WoodStock street onto Bond Street. Cross New Bond Street to Dering Street. On the corner of Tennent Street is the Duke of York.

This is where you are really going to regret doin stations. Again this is at least 30 minute, if not 40, round trip. Walk up New Bond Street and turn left onto Oxford Street. Head for Bond Street Station and take the Central Line to Liverpool Street. Walk up into the main station area and go up to street level at the Bishopsgate end. At the end of the station to the right is The Hamilton Hall.

From Bond Street: Take New Bond Street back up to Oxford Street. Either hop on a bus or walk down Oxford Street to Marble Arch. Turn left onto Park Lane, and continue on down. Just after you pass the Hilton, Old Park Lane dives off to the left parallel to Park Lane. The pub is down here on the left. From Liverpool Street: Take the Central Line again all the way back to Marble Arch. Sounds easy, but you will be quite pushed for time now. Follow the directions above from Marble Arch station.

Walk back up Old Park Lane and turn right into Hertford Street. Continue to the end and turn left. Turn right in front of the Shepherds Tavern and walk down towards the Kings Arms at the end. Turn left and you will see The Grapes in a the small square of Shepherd's Market, Mayfair.