Luton Monopoly: all the places on the new Luton edition of Monopoly revealed

Luton’s Monopoly board has officially hit shelves today (April 12) and we’ve been given an exclusive look at what has made it onto the prestigious board.

At a special event at the Luton DART, the Mayor of Luton, councillors, charity representatives, business owners and Monopoly executives gathered to celebrate the new game.

Winning Moves UK, the makers of the custom board, spent four months researching, and with the help of a Lutonian, created this new version of the popular family game.

Historical buildings, small businesses, stations and, of course, yours truly The Luton News all got a place on the highly-anticipated game.

It will come as no surprise that Kenilworth Road and Luton Airport took the two top spots.

John Keen-Tomlinson, custom games executive from Winning Moves UK, explained that the legacy of the Kenny would live on through the board, long after the Hatters move to the Power Court stadium.

Some of you might be scratching your heads wondering what or where on earth is the Luton Point. You probably know this as the Arndale or The Mall, but it will soon be rebranding to its new name.

John explained: “We have kept the flamingos, harking back to the Arndale. They’re [the shopping centre] going to rebrand, so we didn’t want The Mall on there then for it to become outdated.”

Whatever you know the shopping centre as, you can trade your hard earned paper money for it in the game.

And while the future of The Bear Club remains uncertain, it seems that the jazz venue is a permanent fixture on the board, taking over one of the light blue pieces.

The public sent in their suggestions for which landmarks they would like to see, and The Bear Club, and Vinyl Revelations, on Cheapside, were some of the top places people requested.

Andy Chesham, owner of the record shop, said he was delighted to have his business, and a picture of him, feature on the board, especially ahead of Vinyl Revelations’ 30th anniversary in May.

At the event, Mohammed Hanif mayor of Luton said: “I hope the people react with added pride of what already great about the town. And learn more about the town and appreciate the fantastic landmarks that we have.”

Apart from the town hall, Cllr Hanif said it was a tough one to choose his favourite place. He said: “Perhaps I think Kenilworth Road, but I also like the fact that we’ve got Wardown Museum there, and some historical buildings from Luton town centre, and the pocket park with the flamingos.”

The Community Chest cards have been replaced by three important charities in Luton: Keech Hospice Care, Animals at Risk Shelter and the Luton Foodbank.

Liz Stringer, chair of Luton Foodbank, said: “Being on the board serves as a permanent reminder that we need help to keep the people of Luton fed.”

While Mellissa Higgins, head of marketing and communications at Keech Hospice Care, said: “To be one of the three charities selected to be on the Monopoly board is absolutely fantastic, Keech has been a pillar of the community for thirty years and the fact that we’re now on the board game, we will be remembered for many years to come.”

Here’s a breakdown of all the places in the game:

Brown - Stockwood Park, Wardown Park

Travel - Luton Dart, Luton train station, Leagrave, Luton Airport Parkway

Light blue - Wardown House, The Beat Club, Stockwood Discovery Centre

Pink - Hat House, Hat Works, Hat Factory Arts Centre

Orange - ABC Savoy Cinema, Nadeem Plaza, Luton Point

Red - Vinyl Revelations, Luton News, Capability Green

Yellow - Luton Carnival, Flamingos, Someries Castle

Utilities - Bailey Hill Water Tower, Savage Electrical Services

Green - Luton Town Hall, Luton Hoo Memorial Park, St Mary’s Church

Dark blue - Kenilworth Road and London Luton Airport

Charities - Keech Hospice Care, Animals at Risk Shelter, Luton Foodbank

The MONOPOLY: Luton Edition will be available to purchase at Waterstones and extensively online, including at Booghe.co.uk and Amazon.co.uk.