The makers of the much-loved family game MONOPOLY announced at a celebratory event in town centre today High Wycombe is set to get its very own MONOPOLY board game this year.

Spirits were high at the tent pitched outside The Guildhall where Mr MONOPOLY mascot and his cheerful helpers gifted chocolates and freebies to Wycombe shoppers on Valentine's Day.

We asked people at the launch event what they thought of the unique announcement which has taken everyone by surprise. 

Bucks Free Press: Friends Peter Walsh and Carole Brown challenged their brothers for a MONOPOLY game.Friends Peter Walsh and Carole Brown challenged their brothers for a MONOPOLY game.

Some people we spoke to admitted being banned from playing MONOPOLY at home after getting too emotionally invested in the game. 

Carole Brown, High Wycombe, said: “I think it’s fantastic because Wycombe has got such history. I used to work at Stewart & Arnold chocolate factory here in High Wycombe and I’ve been told I can vote online.

READ MORE: High Wycombe MONOPOLY board to be launched in time for Christmas 2022

“I worked there for 18 years before I retired with lovely colleagues and if it got on the board that would keep it alive.

“I’d also like to see The Guildhall.”

“And definitely the Hughenden Manor needs to be there”, her friend Peter Walsh chimed in.

Both challenged their brothers at a game of MONOPOLY when the Wycombe edition comes out.

Bucks Free Press: Game company boss Afolabi Omotola thinks High Wycombe is anything but ordinary. Game company boss Afolabi Omotola thinks High Wycombe is anything but ordinary.

Mr Walsh, also from High Wycombe, said: “I used to play MONOPOLY a lot with my cousin. My cousin when she started to play she couldn’t stop. Even when she ran out of money she’d keep on playing, for hours.”

Afolabi Omotola, Custom Games Executive from Winning Moves UK, makers of the official MONOPOLY said factors like ‘Pride’, ‘Beauty’ and ‘Sense of Community’ ensured Wycombe beat tens of other runner-up towns in the competition.

 

He said: “Also Culture and Heritage, there’s so many different things Wycombe has to offer and that’s important to us. The aim is to tell a story of High Wycombe the best as possible with a range of things it has to offer.

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“It feels like there’s a strong community here so it feels like we’ve come at the right time and our first time in this neck of the woods.

“We’re looking forward to all the suggestions from the community.

Mr Omotola said they’re keen to include charities on the board too.

Town Deputy Mayor Councillor Lesley Clarke only found out about the plans on Friday and said they “weren’t even allowed to tell family members” of the lovely news.

Bucks Free Press: High Wycombe Deputy Mayor Lesley Clarke OBE at the MONOPOLY launch event.High Wycombe Deputy Mayor Lesley Clarke OBE at the MONOPOLY launch event.

“Despite some of the nay-sayers, we’ve got so much to offer here."

Deputy Mayor Clarke, who played MONOPOLY previously with her grand son who lives in Germany, challenged the Bucks Council Regeneration team and the Planning team for a playful round of High Wycombe edition of the game. 

While working at the stand with High Wycombe BIDCo, Pippa Simpson posed with old Mr MONOPOLY before he had to "go and rest".

Ms Simpson was keen to beat her colleague Josh at the game and joked that “fully supervised I’m allowed to play.”

Although her colleague Rachel Webb is banned from playing MONOPOLY at home, like many others from Wycombe she wants to see Adams Park on the board and the Hellfire Caves as the Jail.

Bucks Free Press: People stopped for photos and Valentine's Day chocolates to mark the special MONOPOLY announcement.People stopped for photos and Valentine's Day chocolates to mark the special MONOPOLY announcement.

To High Wycombe-raised actor James Corden's description of Wycombe as “blissfully ordinary” in his autobiography Mr Omotola disagreed: “Ordinary? No extraordinary,” he said. 

If you want to suggest a landmark on the upcoming Wycombe MONOPOLY edition, nominations can be made for two weeks until at 23.59pm on February 28 by email to: wycombe@winningmoves.co.uk or via the official High Wycombe MONOPOLY Facebook page.