In this episode, the 25th in Danny Hurst´s British Monopoly History series we reach the last of the stations on the London-themed board - Liverpool Street Station. Built on the site of a notorious lunatic asylum, the state of which gave the English-speaking world a new word to describe a chaotic, disordered situation. Danny explains the station´s connection to the Knights Templar, Paul McCartney, the Kindertransport, the world wars and how the IRA figured not once but twice in its history.

He also explains why savvy Monopoly players buy as many stations as possible.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The street is named after Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson, who was also an ether addict.
• Liverpool Street Station is the main London terminus for the Great Eastern Railway.
• The 1st hotel to be built in the city is here.
• The station has been impacted by terrorist offences twice in its recent history.
• Broad Street was demolished instead of Liverpool Street.

BEST MOMENTS

‘It was notorious as one of the worst excesses of lunatic asylums. ´

‘Thousands arrived at Liverpool Street, the majority never seeing their families again.’

EPISODE RESOURCES

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…