This episode of Danny Hurst’s London Monopoly board history series is all about (Great) Marlborough Street, the home of the world-famous magistrates court which has been the scene of many scandalous cases including Oscar Wilde vs the Marquis of Queensbury, Brian Jones and Keith Richards' drug trial and the prosecution of Christine Keeler. 

Danny also shares the connection the street has with Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin, Horatio Nelson, expensive cars and cigarettes.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• All orange squares on the London Monopoly board are connected to law and order.
• The court has seen famous people tried for drug possession, indecency, gun crimes and a list of other offences. Danny tells you about some of them in the episode.
• The most popular cigarette in the world was first made on the street.
• Liberty´s has the most famous frontage on the street.
• Carnaby Street – the home of the swinging sixties – is just off Marlborough Street.

BEST MOMENTS

‘John Lennon and Yoko Ono were tried for obscenity there in 1970. ´

‘Marlborough Street became known for its car showrooms.’

‘They let anyone live there these days.’

EPISODE RESOURCES

Details of the trial connected to the Profumo Affair - https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-profumo-keeler/41347358/

Shop for all official versions of Monopoly here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/page/785DC233-0A69-4DF8-98E9-4F50CC50A59E

HOST BIO

Historian, performer, and mentor Danny Hurst has been engaging audiences for many years, whether as a lecturer, stand-up comic or intervention teacher with young offenders and excluded secondary students. Having worked with some of the most difficult people in the UK, he is a natural storyteller and entertainer, whilst purveying the most fascinating information that you didn't know you didn't know. A writer and host of pub quizzes across London, he has travelled extensively and speaks several languages. He has been a consultant for exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum and Natural History Museum in London as well as presenting accelerated learning seminars across the UK. With a wide range of knowledge ranging from motor mechanics to opera to breeding carnivorous plants, he believes learning is the most effective when it's fun. Uniquely delivered, this is history without the boring bits, told the way only Danny Hurst can.

CONTACT AND SOCIALS

https://instagram.com/dannyjhurst
facebook.com/danny.hurst.9638

https://twitter.com/dannyhurst 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-hurst-19574720

Podcast Description

"History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake." James Joyce.

That was me at school as well. Ironically, I ended up becoming a historian. The Unusual Histories podcast is all about the history you don't learn at school, nor indeed anywhere else. Discover things that you didn't know that you didn't know, fascinating historical luminaries and their vices and addictions, and the other numerous sides of every story.

We start with the Monopoly Series, in which we explore how the game came to be, the real-life connection between the cheapest and most expensive properties, the history of each location, how proportionate the values were then and are today, what the hell a "community chest" is and whether free parking really does exist anywhere in London. 

If you love history; or indeed if you hate history, this is the podcast for you…