Just in time for Christmas if you order this special Alan Turing Monopoly edition from the spiritual home of code-breakers, Bletchley Park. This edition, backed by Google, is based on a home-made Monopoly set discovered in the attic of Max Newman, a wartime colleague of Turing and an avid fellow boardgame enthusiast. Instead of the usual London streets and landmarks, it is a bit more provincial and is based on Bletchley in Buckinghamshire.
Alan Turing, one of the world’s greatest mathematical brains, was instrumental in breaking the enemies’ codes during World War II. It is said that the efforts of the boffins at Bletchley shortened the war by two years.
Despite this, Turing was never honoured and was hounded to his death by a bigoted establishment because of his homosexuality. Heaven forbid that a gay man should be given credit for having any part in winning the war.
In tandem with the current petition to have Turning’s face appear on Britain’s banknotes, the Monopoly cash bears the mathematician’s picture.
If you would like a Turing Monopoly set visit Bletchley Park online and cough up your £29.99.
by Mike Evans, 10 September 2012