LEAMINGTON is on the money.
The cash for the brand new Leamington version of Monopoly has been published.
All the money for the board game, which hits the shops later this month, has been customised to the town and adorned with two of its symbols – elephants and the Hitchman Fountain.
And with all the notes – from the £1 to the £500 – adorned with the two motifs, Leamington is rolling in it.
Winning Moves UK spokesperson Ella Gibbs said: “We have been wonderfully spoiled with choices when putting the new Monopoly: Royal Leamington Spa Edition board game together. We could have put any number of motifs on the money celebrating the town. In the end, the legend of the elephants and the much-loved fountain won the day.”
Leamington is reputed to be the only town in the UK with its own elephant wash. And the first elephant trainer in England was Sam Lockhart, based in Leamington.
According to the legend, when Lockhart acquired three elephants from then Ceylon, the circus animals were regularly walked down from their quarters to publicly bathe in the river Leam. Contemporary evidence of this is hard to come by, suggesting it may be just a myth. However, a ramp that forms the alleged elephant wash is still visible from the Mill Road Footbridge opposite Jephson Gardens.
More certain is the fountain. It’s the crown jewel of Jephson Gardens and has attracted millions of visitors over the years.
Warwick District Council chairman Coun Sidney Syson said: “We are so excited to see Leamington get its very own Monopoly board and are pleased to see that our rich history, beautiful parks, landmarks, education and culture have been captured in the new edition. This will be a wonderful gift for local residents and we can’t wait to roll the dice.”
