Hull Monopoly released for City of Culture year

From multimillion-pound refurbishments of the Ferens Art Gallery and Hull New Theatre, to collaborations with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Ballet, there really is tons going on.

All you need to do is walk through the city centre and compare it to a few months ago, or visit the Fruit Market area to enjoy its brand new dining scene.

It seems that barely an inch of the city hasn’t been touched by the spirit of 2017. Whether it’s art spread across the windows of Paragon Interchange, or a shared pride in a place that was ignored for so long, this is very much Hull’s time in the spotlight.

To link in with the City of Culture celebrations, a new edition of Hull Monopoly has just been released.

This is actually the second version of the Hull themed board game, with the first appearing in 2004. Back then, our city competed against Leeds, Sheffield and York to receive its own board, winning through public vote.

The new edition presents numerous familiar places, including the Humber Bridge, Hull Museums, City Hall and Holy Trinity Church (already named Hull Minster in anticipation of its upgrade on Saturday 13 May).

As for the playing pieces, we have a football, a rugby ball, a trawler, Hull Fair’s big wheel, a Larkin toad, and a crown. The latter pays tribute to the city’s coat of arms, which consists of three crowns.

You’ll even find The Bee Lady in a Community Chest card. 94-year-old Jean Bishop has been dressing up as a bumblebee for years to raise money for Age UK.

This hard work has led to her winning the hearts of countless people across the UK, as well as the title of Fundraiser of the Year at the Pride of Britain Awards.

Whilst a fun game for all the family, Hull Monopoly also reflects the city’s crucial role in the UK’s culture and economy.

We spoke to Councillor Terry Geraghty, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Leisure and Chair of Hull Culture and Leisure Limited:

“We were delighted to stage the new Monopoly official launch at the Ferens to unveil this special edition board. It celebrates so many great landmarks of the city.”

“I am especially pleased to see some of the most popular cultural attractions, including the Ferens, Hull City Hall, and the Maritime Museum, all represented and playing a major role in the UK City of Culture celebrations.”

“This is down to the sheer hard work of the Hull Culture & Leisure staff, who have been absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of people visiting since the start of 2017.”

With popular shopping and dining destination St Stephen’s included on the board, we also spoke to Jim Harris, Centre Manager:

“We’re delighted to be part of Hull Monopoly. Being at the centre of the city, it was an absolute must for us.”

“It’s great to see so many local businesses getting involved and help to add to another great promotional, fun tool to put Hull firmly on the map.”

Across the city centre, Julie Buffey is the owner of gift shop Roisin Dubh and a Promoter for HullBID:

“It’s lovely to see our beautiful Victorian Arcade on the Hull Monopoly board. It’s a hidden gem in the heart of Hull Old Town and deserves to be shared with the world.”

It’s expected that this special edition of Hull Monopoly will sell out very quickly. You can find them in WH Smiths branches, as well as some other retailers across the city.