In article ,
ansible@cix.co.uk (David Langford) wrote:

> 
> On Mon, 1 Sep 2008 22:26 +0100 (BST), jgd@cix.co.uk (John Dallman) 
> wrote:
> 
> >Finchley Central is a game identical to Mornington Crescent, 
> >except for the winning move, and less historical elaboration, 
> >published IIRC in Dave Langford and Kevin Smith's fanzine _Drlkjs_ 
> >at around the time that _I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue_ first aired. 
> >I heard Barry Cryer interviewed on the subject of Geoffrey Perkins 
> >on Sunday, and he pointed out that the game had circulated under 
> >several titles, and Perkins didn't actually invent it, although he 
> >probably did put it into ISIHAC. 
> 
> Finchley Central was described in Kevin's solo fanzine =Dot= (1977),
not
> =Drilkjis=. I'm pretty sure that the outline of Finchley Central in Ian
> Stewart's maths fanzine =Manifold= appeared earlier, but the =Seven 
> Years of Manifold= anthology (a jolly splendid book) doesn't date its 
> articles.

1977 would put it before the first appearance on ISIHAC, according to the
Wikipedia entry for the game - August 1978.  Which surprises me.  I
remember listening to the programme when I was at university back in 1972,
and my memory told me that the game had been there from the start.
Naughty memory, playing tricks on me like that.

prd@pauldormer.cix.co.uk (Paul Dormer) wrote in
news:memo.20080902113150.1540A@pauldormer.compulink.co.uk: 

> 1977 would put it before the first appearance on ISIHAC, according to
> the Wikipedia entry for the game - August 1978.  Which surprises me. 
> I remember listening to the programme when I was at university back in
> 1972, and my memory told me that the game had been there from the
> start. Naughty memory, playing tricks on me like that.

From the letters column of the Guardian newspaper:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/sep/06/8

"In the obituaries of Humphrey Lyttelton (April 26) and Geoffrey Perkins
(September 1) reference was made to the origins of Mornington Crescent.
Accreditation to one of the cast of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, or
Geoffrey Perkins, is erroneous. The game was born in 1970 in a small
actors' club on Shaftesbury Avenue called Gerry's. It was cobbled
together by John Junkin (actor and writer) David Clime (writer) and
myself (club owner and actor). We played the game at the bar to
infuriate and bemuse customers who we found boring or boorish. I seek no
reward or approbation, just accreditation. - Bunny May, Richmond, Surrey"

-- 
Chris
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