DANIEL Adshead had the time of his life at the English Monopoly Championship when he beat an ex-champion in the first round - that's no mean feat when you're only SEVEN years old.

Daniel, from Broadhurst Road in Cleveleys, and Dad Jonathan set off for Leeds on Saturday (July 31) expecting a laid-back contest with hundreds of competitors.

Proud Jonathan told the Citizen the reality was quite different with just 31 contestants. "We saw an article in The Citizen, applied and were offered a place," he said.

"So we went up to Leeds and Daniel did brilliantly despite being completely over-awed. There were television cameras and all the contestants were so serious - it was a crazy day.

"One chap was even dressed in a suit with a top hat and cane like the man from the Monopoly board. He even had a Monopoly tie. And for one game they let the players use real money. Daniel's eyes nearly popped out of his head."

Daniel, who came 26th out of 31 contestants, willingly spoke about his day, having particularly enjoyed handling the crisp £50 notes and beating ex-champion Josef Kollar in his first game. Revealing his tactics he said: "I managed to buy five properties then I saved up all my money and when I counted it I had beaten him!"

Daniel is a keen Monopoly fan and regularly takes on his relatives. He said: "I play against nanna and grandad, my uncle, and Dad and I can beat them but Saturday was harder."

He now plans to put in a lot more practice and one day has ambitions to be the champion himself.

David Barratt, 40, from Devonshire Road, North Shore, also participated in the championships but suffered some bad luck. He explained: "We had four games, each lasting 45 minutes and added up our assets from each game. In my first game I landed on Mayfair with a hotel on it right at the end and that made me bankrupt: nil points!

"I won the second game but in my third I had to go to jail twice and never really recovered from it! I didn't come last though and I had a fantastic day."

The eventual winner of the championship was Mike Grabsky of London.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.