Cambridge Coincidences Collection

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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.

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Well I Never!

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

Anniversary coincidence

I went for an appointment at a dentist I had not used before and, as you do, picked up the nearest book to read in the waiting room. It was a glossy book (which I had never heard of) of photographs all taken on the same day around Britain, mostly of people at work, with a foreword by the Duchess of York. When I looked at the date the photos were taken, it was 10 years to the day before the date I was looking at it - and, no, the dentist's name was not Sarah Ferguson! I have two far more amazing work-related coincidences, which are probably too complicated to relate in this format. john.skeeles@ntlworld.com

Geoff Hamilton

At a party some years ago a friend's Mother asked me if I had seen the last edition of the gardening programme presented by Geoff Hamilton, which had been broadcast in tribute to him, following his unexpected death. I told her that as I had no TV I had not seen it, and was sorry to hear he had died. Several weeks later I switched my radio on and heard the announcement of Geoff Hamilton's death, which had only just occurred, and that his last programme would be shown as a tribute to him. When my friend told her mother this she had no recollection of the conversation, and refused to believe it had taken place.

Cycling holiday in France - 3 coincidences

In 2001 we were on a cycling holiday in France, organised by Headwater, who provided the bikes, booked the hotels and carried our luggage. We soon became friendly with another couple doing the same holiday, and then with 2 single ladies, and soon decided to all 6 share a table every evening. On the 1st evening, we discovered that the married couple knew a friend of ours, in fact were very friendly with her. On the 2nd evening, we discovered that one of the single ladies also knew another friend of ours, and knew her very well - not just a chance acquaintance. And on the 3rd evening we discovered that one of the single ladies and my husband had been to the same Primary School, even though neither of them lived anywhere near that area nowadays. Three coincidences in one holiday! We were quite disappointed when on the 4th evening there were no new revelations. And it's quite possible that the whole holiday could have gone by without our discovering these connections - it just depends on what subjects come up in conversation.

incredible chance meeting

In 1980 I was living in Athens and was friendly with Norwegian lady whose daughter was in the same class, in an international school, as my daughter. We had a fairly close interaction as our husbands were also connected in business. When my second daughter was born in 1984 they left Athens and we did not stay in touch. Over 25 years later in July 2010, we were on a Norweigian Fjiord cruise. I was with my partner and as we disembarked at Bergen I told him of my relationship with this lady and an interesting story of our friendship and the ups and downs of school and club events. The main focus of our conversation though was this lady. She had been good looking and I even described her appearance.I had not been aware of where they had gone to post Athens. We wandered around the town (Bergen Norway) and somehow went into a shopping mall. I wanted to see some shoes so went to the top end of the mall. As I walked into the shop I looked at this woman selling shoes. It was her. My partner did not believe me. I spoke to her. It WAS her.

Identical twins

1) In 1955, whilst still at grammar school, I was chosen to represent Derbyshire Grammar Schools at soccer on a brief tour of Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire. We pupils were accommodated overnight (one night only) in the homes of our opponents; my host was a boy, a total stranger, named John French. Thus, I encountered John for just a few hours in his parents' home and on the soccer field. A year or so later, my identical twin brother Michael was accosted in Paris (where he was on a student exchange, or something of the sort) by this same John French who clearly thought it was me. That incident - which I have told and retold throughout my life whenever talk of coincidences arises - remains the greatest coincidence I have - vicariously - experienced (though there have been, and continue to be, many other instances of 'mistaken identity', since we remain identical in appearance, gesture, vocal inflection etc even into our 70s).

Needle in the foot

In about 1947, when I was 7, my mother had a letter from a Dutch friend saying that she had been in hospital as she had trodden on a needle that had broken in her foot. That evening I was dancing about in the bedroom, showing off to my brother, when I felt a sharp pain in my foot. I screamed to my mother that I had trodden on a needle. My mother told me not to be so silly but on searching the floor she found half a needle. I was taken to hospital and had the other half of the needle removed from my big toe.

Synchronicity

My wife and I were having dinner with our publishers in Pari, a small Italian village south of Siena. One of the guests had travelled all the way from the Netherlands to interview our host, David Peat, about 'synchronicity'. 'What exactly is "synchroncity"' I asked our host, David Peat. 'I'll lend you a book' he replied. We were due to leave early the next morning - but I skim read the book before falling asleep. One image stayed vividly in my mind. Jung wrote about this moment as follows: 'A young woman I was treating had, at a critical moment, a dream in which she was given a golden scarab. While she was telling me this dream, I sat with my back to the closed window. Suddenly I heard a noise behind me, like a gentle tapping. I turned round and saw a flying insect knocking against the window-pane from the outside. I opened the window and caught the creature in the air as it flew in.

Living in Haslemere

When we first decided to move from Ewell to Haslemere 11 years ago, we were amazed to find that everyone we mentioned it to knew someone in Haslemere or in the nearby villages of Fernhurst or Liphook. A significant number of our friends had a close connection with the place - e.g. one friend moved down to Fernhurst during the War to have her baby away from London bombs. Another friend put his ailing mother into a Care Home only one road away from where we now live. Another friend lived in Fernhurst during her early married years as her husband was stationed in Fernhurst for national service. Another friend (in Bristol) has her mother living in Haslemere, which we hadn't known beforehand. The list goes on and on. And whenever we are on holiday, anywhere in the world, we are sure to get talking to somebody who has a connection with Haslemere! Even in the forests of New Zealand, when on a birding walk early one morning, we found that the guide had a sister in Liphook! Nowadays, whenever we get chatting to someone new, we are waiting for their exclamation when we mention where we live - "Not Haslemere?

Unlikely holiday acquaintance

In 1968 I was employed as a Nursery Teacher by Newport Borough Council overseen by the Nursery Supervisor, Mrs S. I told her I was holidaying by car along the Yugoslavian Adriatic Coast. She was particularly interested as her husband had been killed in action during World War 2 on the Isle of Brac. Towards the end of our holiday we were camping at Split. We had seen very few English campers and chose to pitch up next to an English caravan with a Morris Minor parked outside. Imagine our amazement when that evening the caravan occupants told us that their best friend had been killed on the Isle of Brac and they had come to find his grave. Sure enough it was Mr S and to add to the coincidence the young man in their party was Mrs S's god son!!

School Days

We have a house in the South of France. We meet up regularly with some of the ex-pats who live in the village. After a year of knowing this particular person on a casual basis, we got talking and discovered that we had both been pupils at the same school and had ben taught by the same teachers. However, when she was there they were all at the beginning of their careers and when I was taught by them they were all due to retire.

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