RULES

for TWO DIFFERENT GAMES of

BRITISH TOWNS

THE PACK consists of 1 KEY card, 9 REGION cards and 34 TOWN cards.

The KEY card lists the 9 Regions and their numbers and shows how many Town cards are needed for each Region.

The REGION cards are numbered 1-9. Each shows the names of Towns in the Region.

The TOWN cards show the numbers of their Regions, and (in red) the other Town cards in the Region.

THE FIRST GAME For 3 or more Players

A DEALER is chosen. He takes the KEY card from the pack and places it in the middle of the table. Players can refer to it to see how many TOWN cards are needed to make up each REGION. He shuffles the pack and deals all the cards around the players. Players take up their cards and arrange them as far as possible in Regions (not letting the others see them).

THE OBJECT of the game is to collect cards from other players to make up complete Regions, a "Region" being a Region card together with all the Town cards having the same number in the top left corner as that Region card.

The dealer is first to play. He notes which cards he needs to make up complete Regions and then asks any Player for a card he wants, saying (for example) "Please may I have CREWE, No. 7". (7 is Crewe's Region number). He must have at least one of the Towns or the Region card in his hand before asking for a card in that Region.

If the player asked holds the card he must give it to the asker, who will then continue by asking either the same player or any other player for another card. He continues to ask until he fails to get a card he asked for, then the turn passes to the player who could not supply the card.

Play continues in this way, the turn always passing to ihe player who does not have a card asked for.

Whenever a complete Region, including the Region card has been collected, that set of cards is placed face down in front of the player who collected it.

When a player has no card left in his hand he is out of the game and his turn passes to the player on his left.

THE GAME ENDS when all the Regions have been collected. The player with the largest number of complete Regions is the winner.

THE SECOND GAME

Particularly suited to 2 players

THE OBJECT of the game is to collect Regional sets of cards.

THE DEALER shuffles the pack (after taking out the Key card as in the first game) and deals 7 cards to each player. The remainder of the cards are placed face down in the centre of the table with the exception of the top card which is placed face-up beside the pack. Players take up their cards and look at them.

In collecting sets a Region card can be used in place of any one of the towns printed on its face. Equally, all the Town cards of a Region make a Regional set without the Region Card.

THE PLAYER ON THE LEFT OF THE DEALER BEGINS by picking up either the top card of the pack or the exposed card beside it.

If he is unable to make up a Regional set he must discard one card, placing it face-up beside the pack, and the turn passes to the player on his left. If, however, he can make a set, he places the set FACE-UP on the table in front of him and draws sufficient cards from the face down pack to make his hand up to 7 cards. It is now the turn of the player on his left.

Note that the discard pile will become bigger as the game proceeds. Players at their turns have the choice of picking up ("drawing") the top discard or the top card of the face-down pack.

Should the remaining card of a Region which a player has already laid down be drawn by him, or be the top card on the discard pile at his turn, the player must play this card on to his exposed set. This constitutes his turn.

When the face-down pack is exhausted the discard pile is shuffled, placed face down on the table, the top card turned up as before and play continued.

THE GAME ENDS when a player is unable to make up his hand to 7 cards.

Each player counts the number of cards (not sets) he has in front of him and deducts the number of cards in his hand. The player with the biggest score is the winner.

Interesting Notes on some of the TOWN CARDS

 

REGION 1

LONDON Pop. 8,172,000
The light in the Tower of Big Ben indicates that the House of Commons is in session.

DOVER Pop. 35,000
Britain's nearest port to the Continent. Calais is 22J miles away.

SOUTHEND Pop. 165,000
The famous Pier is 11 miles long.

REGION 2.

COWES. I.O.W. Pop. 17,000
The world-famous centre of Yachting.

WINDSOR Pop. 27,000
One of the Royal Residences,

OXFORD Pop. 106,000
Magdalen Tower where the Choir sings at dawn on Midsummer's Day.

PORTSMOUTH Pop. 215,000
H.M.S. Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship at the battle of Trafalgar.

REGION 3.

WELLS Pop. 6,000
The swans on the moat of the ancient Palace of the Bishops ring a bell when they are hungry.

PLYMOUTH Pop. 204,000
The Hoe, where Drake finished his bowls game before setting sail to defeat the Armada.

REGION 4.

CARDIFF Pop. 256,000
The biggest port in Wales, with its famous Rugby football ground.

MENAI BRIDGE Pop. 2,000
Close to Llanfairpwllgwyngllgogerych-wyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch village.


REGION 5.

BIRMINGHAM Pop. 1,106,000
A centre of the Motor Car Industry and engineering generally.

COVENTRY Pop. 305,000
The most modern design of Cathedral in the Country.

STRATFORD Pop. 17,000
The Theatre built in memory of William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon.

NOTTINGHAM Pop. 312,000
Apart from Robin Hood, Nottingham is famous for its Lace.

DERBY Pop. 132,000
Railway Engines made in Derby are exported throughout the world.

REGION 6.

CAMBRIDGE Pop. 95,000
"The Backs" along the River Cam, with Kings College Chapel in the background.

REGION 7.

PENRITH Pop. 10,000 ULLSWATER near Penrith,
where Donald Campbell in 1955 established a new world water speed record of 202 m.p.h.

MANCHESTER Pop. 661,000
The centre of the cotton industry.

LIVERPOOL Pop. 747,000
The "Liver Birds" sculptures on top of the building are world famous, being the first and last thing seen of Liverpool by seamen.

CREWE Pop. 53,000
As well as being a great Railway junction Crewe is where Rolls Royce cars are made.

REGION 8.

YORK Pop. 104,000
The Minster (in parts 12th century) is especially famous for its beautiful stained glass windows.

SHEFFIELD Pop. 494,000
Sir Henry Bessemer's Devile converts pig iron into steel by the "Bessemer process".

LEEDS Pop. 511,000
Headingley is where many Test Matches are Played.

NEWCASTLE Pop. 269,000
"Tyneside"—famous for shipbuilding.

REGION 9.

AYR Pop. 45,000
The home of Scotland's "Rabbie Burns", the Poet.

ST. ANDREWS Pop. 10,000
The Starters Box and Nineteenth Hole (The Club House of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club).

EDINBURGH Pop. 468,000
The Capital of Scotland. The great castle is built on a rocky hill in the middle of the city.

GLASGOW Pop. 1,055,000
The business and industrial centre of Scotland. The "Hampden Roar" made by the spectators at Hampden Park a famous.