Mornington Crescent
Since childhood I have had a deep-seated admiration for the London Underground Map. It was only a question of time, therefore, before I felt compelled to mimic the original by introducing my own Mornington Crescent station onto the BrainWareMap. The London Underground (LU)'s Mornington Crescent station is one of its most famous, built in 1907 and located on the Northern line (Charing Cross branch), between the Euston and Camden Town stations. How gratifying it would be, therefore, if London Underground reciprocated, and at some future date decided to instal, say, my Brainware station onto its own East London line. I'm sure that many adventurous travellers would value such a promising enhancement. Unfortunately, the LU Mornington Crescent station had to be closed down for six years in the 1990's because its passenger lifts were beyond repair. For consistency's sake and for added realism, therefore, I may need to withdraw my own station for an extended period, to carry out any necessary maintenance. Finally, I should add, also for consistency's sake, that I have chosen to position Mornington Crescent on my Organisations track since it and the LU Northern line share the same black colour-coding. So far so good, but what about ... The Other Mornington Crescent?Listened to 'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue' in the bath. I have heard this amusing programme many times, but I still do not understand the rules of Mornington Crescent. Strange, since I must be one of the most intelligent men in the East Midlands. Diary entry 17 May 03, Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction, Sue Townsend The reason why the LU Mornington Crescent station is so amazingly popular is that it shares its name with the truly mind-boggling intellectual game called 'Mornington Crescent'. The roots of this game can reputedly be traced back to pre-Roman times, but the most advanced manifestation can be regularly heard on the BBC Radio 4 cult comedy show 'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue'. The rules of the game are much too complex and extensive to summarise here, but by listening to the game a few times you should soon be able to make sense of it. In brief, the competitors are required to take turns in naming London locations, such as Clapham Common, Marble Arch and Charing Cross Road, but providing them in an appropriate sequence. And the first one able to call out 'Mornington Crescent' is the winner. The unusual popularity of the game may help to explain why so many pilgrims to the LU Mornington Crescent station can be found down on the platforms calling out 'Mornington Crescent!' to any newly arriving train and to its startled passengers. It is also said that during the four year closure of the station, trains passing through used to slow down as a mark of respect. And appropriately when the station was eventually re-opened, on 27 April 1998, members of the 'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue' team, including Humphrey Lyttelton, were invited along to cut the ribbon. Further InformationFor further information on Mornington Crescent see:
| ||||||||||||||||
