Monopoly was developed from The Landlord’s Game in 1933 and launched in the USA in 1935.  It was introduced to the UK in the following year when Norman Watson (the then Managing Director of John Waddington Ltd playing card division) played a game at his home in Horsforth, Leeds. That led to Waddingtons being granted a licence to manufacture the game, which it did from its factory on Wakefield Road, Hunslet, Leeds. To mark this connection to the city, “Monopoly Leeds Takeover“, a city-wide version of the iconic board game started this weekend, organised by “Welcome to Leeds“.

– Image of unknown origin

According to their website, “Monopoly Leeds Takeover” is “a free, family friendly immersive experience brings the best-selling property trading game to life, using key locations and landmarks as the gameboard with life-size tokens, clues and puzzles.”  In addition to the game, there will be various Monopoly/Waddingtons-related exhibitions, board-game-design workshops for kids, and a blue plaque will be placed on the former home of Norman Watson to mark the location of that first game of Monopoly in the UK.

– Image from monopolyleeds.com

The events, will be running from 27^th July until 1^st September and details of the Monopoly Leeds Takeover Game are available online.