Cambridge Coincidences Collection

As of the 23rd May 2022 this website is archived and will receive no further updates.

understandinguncertainty.org was produced by the Winton programme for the public understanding of risk based in the Statistical Laboratory in the University of Cambridge. The aim was to help improve the way that uncertainty and risk are discussed in society, and show how probability and statistics can be both useful and entertaining.

Many of the animations were produced using Flash and will no longer work.

Well I Never!

Professor David Spiegelhalter of Cambridge University wants to know about your coincidences!

It's a small world

17 years ago my Wife and I were visiting the Bay of Islands in New Zealand and took a small ferry boat to the town of Russell. We got chatting to the only other person on the boat who asked us where we were from. We replied Guernsey in the Channel Islands and she told us her Brother also lived in Guernsey. Which Parish we enquired and she said he lived on a very small island called Lihou. There is only one house on Lihou and at that time the States of Guernsey bought the house as the island is a tourist attraction; it has a 12th Century ruined Priory. Our strangers Brother was the only person living on the island as Caretaker ! Lihou can only be reached on foot a few hours each month at spring tides by a causeway 1/4 mile long and people have been known to miss the return by the speed of the huge tides in the Channel Islands and sleep rough overnight! There are no services on the island and we were amazed to meet a relative of the only person living there at the time in a Guernsey population of 60,000 people. Michael

A Twin Thing

One of my stepsons joined a camping expedition in a remote part of the Lake District, despite having just had a knee operation and being on crutches. As he could only stop a couple of nights he and his girlfriend left at teatime on the Sunday. Unbeknowns to him and the rest of the group his identical twin brother had decided to visit the area (somewhere they both knew very well) on an impromptu visit and arrived at dusk on the same day. On seeing a campfire he decided to see who his neighbours were. Needless to say the group were surprised to see an apparently recovered friend bounding down the hill towards them, and he was amazed to see a group of mutual friends already ensconced, although he was disappointed to have missed his brother. As twins their lives have been intertwined with various such coincidences.

same pin no

My first bank pin no has remained with me since they came into use many years ago. Recently I opened a new bank account with a different bank and have received the same pin no as my original one. Could not believe it when I scratched off the paper to reveal the code.

Car Accident

My son borrowed my car in Sept 2011. A car drove into him and did not stop. The subsequent claim is still on-going so I will change the names.The insurance were very confused to begin with as my son is called Harry D and the owner of the car which hit mine is called Mrs Harry-D.

California to Atlantic Liner

In October 1956 following 3 years in New York City I was having a final holiday in the USA, spent mostly in the far South West. One evening in Yosemite National Park I dined in the restaurent, sitting up at the counter; next to me was an American Dentist who had been working in British India and had recently retired, found temporary accomodation in London and was now looking for the perfect retirement location in America. His favourite so far was Reno, Nevada. I continued on my travels for two more weeks and in early December set sail for home from New York on the Cunard Freight Liner 'Media'; as there were not many passengers at this time of year we all dined at an Oficer's table, on my right was the Purser and on his right was the - American Dentist !

Chance Family Meeting

I live in Spain, my brother, David, in Guernsey, Channel Islands. We usually meet up once a year for a few days when my husband and I visit Guernsey in the summer; apart from that we have the occasional chat on the phone, perhaps 3 or 4 times a year. He works full time and I am a housewife. Three years ago I had to spend a few weeks in the UK for some treatment to a knee injury. Whilst in the UK I took advantage of the situation to visit my best friend for a few days ; she lives in Marple Bridge, Stockport. On one of the days we decided on impulse to visit Chatsworth House, the stately home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. My friend knows it well so we decided not to join a guided tour, she showed me around. To my shock, suprise and utter amazement as we walked into one of the rooms I saw my Brother and his Wife in a group being shown around by a guide. We were speechless for a moment in complete disbelief. At that time I had not seen or spoken to my brother for several months and he had no idea I was in the UK.

London /Wales link.

On visiting my son in his London flat, I often chatted to the lady responsible foir overs seing some of the properties in his road. One day I asked her if she lived locally, and she told me that she lived on the outskirts of London. She asked me where I lived, and on naming my home town in Wales, she said " What a coincidence, both of my children live in that town." On enquiring about the actual location, we were both surprised to find that her daughter, lived in the same area, and in fact, lived three houses away from me. Needless to say her daughter was equally surprised to hear of the link.

unbelievable coincidence on oxford street

I visited London last year and was shopping on the oxford street,I am an Indian and each shop i went to shop owners would ask me where was I from? after answering a few times I was exasperated with the question, and then i went to a next shop, a guy asked me the same question again "where are you from?" ,bored with the same answer i said i was from Afghanistan of all the countries it was the only one i could recall in that instant and the next moment i was shocked when the guy started speaking "Afghani" and said he was from Afghanistan too.and i was so dumbstruck that out of more than 300 shops on the oxford street it this one i choose to go and answer so weirdly and there i am so caught.

janet

My brothers are lifelong transport enthusiasts. A friend gave them a booklet printed by the Adelaide Tramway System, in Australia, when it was inaugurated c 1900. On reading this booklet, imagine my brothers' surprise to see a picture of our maternal grandfather, resplendent in high collar and cravat, as part of the team of civil engineers who had surveyed and engineered the project.

Before computers

Before computers, I needed a spreadsheet to complete my monthly restaurant books. Too poor (or tight) to buy a book of these sheets, I let the matter ride. Whilst using the local library's photo-copier for something else, imagine my surprise when I lifted the lid of the machine to see EXACTLY the sheet I wished to photocopy, abandoned by the previous user. Result!!

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