Mornington Crescent For Concertina Players

[Chris Timson]

Ah, what a pleasure it is to see Samantha once again sitting on Jim's right hand. (With apologies to the Master, Humphrey Lyttelton, not to mention Samantha!).

 

Chris

[Howard Mitchell]

I agree Peter, if play continues in this way we could be here all night

I'm off to bed. As our "American Cousins" are a few hours behind us, maybe we should invite them to play whilst we adjourn for a few hours sleep. The game looks tight, but we might be in for a shock result by morning.

Hmmm! this needs some thought!

maybe we should take an early Jeffries tube to Kilburn!

As I sat here with my cup of tea and morning croissant (close call?), I received a telegraph from William Fothergill suggesting we meet for lunch in Camden Town.

 

We had Mornington Croissants at this B&B a couple of years ago.

 

May I suggest that we open up the game a little. I play "Cutty Sark". A little modern perhaps, on the DLR, but with seafaring connections to concertinas and handy for the session in Greenwich.

 

Howard Mitchell

Edited April 15, 2006 by Howard Mitchell

[JimLucas]

We had Mornington Croissants at this B&B a couple of years ago.

 

May I suggest that we open up the game a little. I play "Cutty Sark". A little modern perhaps, on the DLR, but with seafaring connections to concertinas and handy for the session in Greenwich.

"Open up the game a little", you say? You've blown it wide open!!

 

Sneaky diversion to mention the ruddy ship and concertinas, while your link appears to be an attempt to invoke a Faraday proxy move to end play as soon as it's clicked on.

 

Referee!!!

[PeterT]

I'd be happy to include the DLR, as the Concertina version of this game, on the 1971 Underground Map, was proving quite taxing. On this basis, we should also bring the Heathrow Terminal loop into play; all agreed?

 

Who's move next?

 

Regards,

Peter.

[Theo]

"Open up the game a little", you say? You've blown it wide open!!

 

Sneaky diversion to mention the ruddy ship and concertinas, while your link appears to be an attempt to invoke a Faraday proxy move to end play as soon as it's clicked on.

 

Referee!!!

 

Well Jim your cover is now completely blown - you clearly understood the rules all along. Wegners hypothesis requires you to complete a home country loop.

[stuart estell]

I'd be happy to include the DLR, as the Concertina version of this game, on the 1971 Underground Map, was proving quite taxing. On this basis, we should also bring the Heathrow Terminal loop into play; all agreed?

 

This brings to mind a wonderful game of MC I played with friends some 12 years ago by email at university. One of our number spent the entire game orbiting the Heathrow Terminals. I'm not sure what he was trying to achieve, but it would seem that he achieved it.

 

My go, I believe. Employing the little-known Fulcrum Vault Manoeuvre: Southwark.

[Chris Timson]

This brings to mind a wonderful game of MC I played with friends some 12 years ago by email at university. One of our number spent the entire game orbiting the Heathrow Terminals. I'm not sure what he was trying to achieve, but it would seem that he achieved it.

Maybe he thought he was playing the game Heathrow Terminal, an easy mistake for a student to make from what I remember of my days at Uni. I looked up the Fulcrum Vault Manoeuvre, btw. It looks a useful sort of move to make and I shall remember it, though the connection to concertinas is not immediately obvious ...

 

Chris

[stuart estell]

It was a misguided play on words referring to concertina action... I must try harder

Edited April 15, 2006 by stuart estell

[Samantha]

" "

[JimLucas]

Well Jim your cover is now completely blown - you clearly understood the rules all along.

Not really, but perhaps I have a natural affinity.

And when I realized that it was really just Calvin Ball on the Circle Line (London's, not New York's)....

 

Wegners hypothesis requires you to complete a home country loop.

Home country being USA if, as PeterT says, we've been using the 1971 map. Which is important, because at that time the Battery Loop (made famous in the film "Pelham 123", which train nearly concertinaed there) was still accessible, and so I say "South Ferry"!

[PeterT]

Chris,

 

I assume that you are not currently "in play", although you did not say "pass" when it was your turn.

 

I'll play as follows:

 

Angel (Wheatstone, yet again!)

 

I'll also invoke the "Compass Points" rule** (I'm assuming that this is still permitted within the "standard" game)

 

 

** Note for non-players - Circle Line stations are not permitted during the next round of play (quite why the term was coined for this rule I'll never understand, as there are not quite 32 stations on the Circle Line. Still, we are mere players, not rule-makers!)

 

Regards,

Peter.

 

PS - still looking like a defensive game, as I have yet to come away from the Northern Line.

[Animaterra]

Well, I'm baffled. Even after studying the website- I have absolutely no earthly idea what you are all talking about! I always thought the television show of that name was another soap or sitcom-

 

would somebody please explain slowly, in simple language, with words of few syllables, what the heck is going on???????

[Nanette Hooker]

I notice we haven't received any letters from Mrs Trellis of North Wales.

[Howard Mitchell]

Chris,

 

I assume that you are not currently "in play", although you did not say "pass" when it was your turn.

 

I'll play as follows:

 

Angel (Wheatstone, yet again!)

 

I'll also invoke the "Compass Points" rule** (I'm assuming that this is still permitted within the "standard" game)

 

 

** Note for non-players - Circle Line stations are not permitted during the next round of play (quite why the term was coined for this rule I'll never understand, as there are not quite 32 stations on the Circle Line. Still, we are mere players, not rule-makers!)

 

Regards,

Peter.

 

 

PS - still looking like a defensive game, as I have yet to come away from the Northern Line.

 

I had to look up the compass point rule in Old Twonk's Almanac. I believe some circle line stations can be used but only en-passant. Regardless, I will play advantage and go to "Theydon Bois".

 

 

Howard Mitchell

[John Wild]

" "

 

I'm glad you are still involved, Samantha. I would not want to see you replaced by Sven!!

[Chris Timson]

I had to look up the compass point rule in Old Twonk's Almanac. I believe some circle line stations can be used but only en-passant. Regardless, I will play advantage and go to "Theydon Bois".

Well I'm still playing by the ICA variations, so I'm going to finesse a Bayan Squeeze and go to Highgate Cemetary, just to the left of Karl Marx's tomb.

 

Chris

[Chris Timson]

would somebody please explain slowly, in simple language, with words of few syllables, what the heck is going on???????

The clue which might help you grasp what is, it has to be said, play of an impressively high order of skill and ability, is that Mornington Crescent is what is technically known as a nomic game, that is, the player is encouraged and expected to modify the rules while the game is actually being played. The references to to rules and variations are the mechanism by which this is done, and the player has to understand the consequences of the rule modifications before applying any modifications of their own. Failure to do so results in penalties, the mildest of which is Knip.

 

The widespread playing of the game in England is probably behind the notable intellectual superiority of the English man and woman in all walks of life.

 

I hope that helps.

 

Chris

Edited April 16, 2006 by Chris Timson

[PeterT]

.. the player is encouraged and expected to modify the rules while the game is actually being played.

That would explain why I've been struggling! I only used to listen to "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" on an occasional basis, and kept wondering where the "new" rules came from (I assumed that it from programmes which I had missed ). Off to re-consider strategy.

 

Peter.

 

PS - I really liked its elder "brother"; "I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again", which was fun, without the competitive element (perhaps I should have posted this under another popular thread!).