Monopoly - Centre for Journalism

advertisement
A new Monopoly board game will be hitting the shops soon - but forget Mayfair, Leicester Square and Oxford Street.
Instead, a place from Kent will be at the centre of family feuds this Christmas as board game bosses base their latest
game on a town or city from the county.
Your favourite maiden aunt doesn't know where she's going yet, though, as company bosses are letting the public
decide which Kent destination the new game is based on.
Canterbury, Dover, Maidstone, Margate, Rochester and Tunbridge Wells are all in the running after being nominated by
Monopoly researchers - and voting is now open to find which town or city it will be.
The public are also able to nominate landmarks or famous streets they would like to see as squares on the board.
At present, both Canterbury and Dover are leading the way with most votes.
Graham Barnes, PR officer at Winning Moves Ltd who will be building the game, said: "Each year we do one or two
boards for Christmas and this year the dice has rolled on Kent.
"We look for landmarks that will fill the board and make it a great joy to play. People can buy their favourite place and
even bankrupt someone on that place.
"We've done the research and are absolutely sure it will be full of crown jewels for the town or city chosen.
"For example, if Dover was to win you've got the white cliffs that are world famous. And Canterbury's got its
Cathedral."
It's not the first time the county has experienced Monopoly stardom, though.
Back in 2002 a special 'Kent edition' of the famous game was launched - and stayed in the shops until around 2007.
"The Kent edition was hugely popular," Mr Barnes explained.
"It partly inspired this new town or city edition as it was so popular. It included places from across the county - from
Dover right over to Tunbridge Wells."
Despite the latest edition being a very localised game, Mr Barnes believes the appeal of the chosen town or city will
stretch far and wide.
"It's mainly the people in Kent but there will be expats and tourists who buy it," he added. "It doesn't just have to be
for people who live there.
"They may never have visited, say, Dover or Rochester but have an aunt or someone that lives there and will buy it."
Voting is already under way and ends at midnight on Monday, March 17.
An announcement of the winning town or city will be made in early April.
Of course, if you live in Oxford Street or Park Lane in Margate, you might think you have a head start.
Nominations can be sent to kent@winningmoves.co.uk, or posted to Kent Monopoly, Winning Moves UK, 7 Praed
Street, London, W2 1NJ.
Download