Last weekend saw the birthday of a friend. To celebrate the occasion he decided to do something a bit different. The invitation had mentioned a 'Monopoly Bar Crawl'. What a great idea I thought. A scenic trip around London stopping off at a few bars en route. Sounded like a good birthday plan!

I think it was the geographic element of it that appealed to me most. Even though I work in the city and live just a stone's throw away, I am one of those people who just doesn't have a clue how London really fits together. So I was quite enthused about wandering around the big smoke and just taking it all in. I had visions of a day of culture. A day where I would learn lots and become a far more informed and knowledgeable person. Yes, I was really looking forward to it….

Unfortunately things weren't quite as I expected. What I'd failed to realise in my idealised itinerary of events was exactly what the day entailed. My first minor issue was the hour at which the activities were due to commence. I am no stranger to an early start. In fact, I would advocate it if anything. But 10.15? In the morning. Surely this was no way to start a Saturday by anyone's standards.

And as the day unfolded it showed little mercy. This was no game for the foolish. On arrival we were issued with maps and timetables. 26 pubs, 26 drinks. One thing was for sure, this was no task for the faint hearted.

Four bars down and already the cohort had been split up. It was clear that not everyone would see the day through. It was a task of epic proportions and only the strongest would survive

Unfortunately I retaliated at bar 19. The day had been long and the alcohol had been flowing. I may not have made my way quite around the whole board but I think it was fair to say I had tried my best. Next time however, I will definitely finish the circuit. And collect £200 while I'm at it. I don't think board games have ever been quite so much fun!