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.

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Well I Never!

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

Meeting in Distant Parts

In Jan 2009 myself and partner booked into a motel on the Coromandel peninsular in New Zealand. The following morning my partner was wandering in the garden when a man sat outside one of the lodges said good morning, and recognising her accent asked where we were from. She replied Cornwall- and as we were used to Australians and Americans asking if we knew specific people when they realised where we came from, my partner was prepared for the next question- 'oh do you know John and Sue in Hayle' he asked - slightly taken aback my partner recognised the names and replied "do you mean John and Sue XXXX"- "yes" he replied, "I used to be married to Sue!"

Infants Reunited

In 2010 having returned to my home town after 20 years I googled local 'homeopaths'. The first one was attached to my new GP surgery, although a different medical and legal entity. I chose that one. On the first appointment, after a while, the receptionist asked whether I had had a different surname 'Yes' - was it '....' 'Yes'. The practitioner entered the reception area to find his new patient and his receptionist hugging each other having not seen each other for 45 years, since about 1966. That was lovely. We were neighbours, but went to different infant/junior schools because it was more convenient for one of the families to attend a school further away. A few weeks later, having finished that day's consultation, the homeopathist said 'I think we were at the same infant school.' We compared notes and photographs and indeed we were. So, two former schoolmates within one alternative therapy practice which employs a very small number of people.

Two tales of serendipty

FIRST COINCIDENCE In 1967 I was living and working in my home town of Exeter and every day I used to meet a young chap (whose name I've now forgotten) who used to chat me up. One day he told me that he was moving to London to train as a policeman at Hendon. I told him I was going to work in London too so he said, "Give me a ring when you get there". At first in London I worked as a temp in a hotel and there was a pay phone near our canteen. One lunch time I looked up the number of Hendon and dialed. I got through to their office and they said that cadets couldn't take calls there but that they would give me the number of a call box. If I was lucky someone might be passing who knew my friend. I dialed the call box. There was no ringing tone because someone had just picked up the phone at the other end to make a call. In that split second we had got connected and both said 'Hello'. I said I was looking for 'name of friend' and the voice at the other end said, "I don't believe this! It's me. I just came in to make a call".

Sibling birthdays

Dear Professor Spiegelhalter, No doubt you are receiving a flood of mails as a result of this morning's Radio 4 broadcast. My mother had two brothers and a sister (Eddie, Gordon and Margaret Sterry), all born on the same date a few years apart on, I believe, March 19th. I always remember her saying each year that she only had to remember one birthday - and she was the exception, born on January 31. All four siblings are now dead, but if you are interested I can certainly get exact birth dates from my cousins (unless they have already contacted you!) I believe you said there were only 8 such cases in the country - well here's another, With best wishes, Gillian Lathey

connection with a stranger

I'd decided to join an Alpha course ( to explore Christianity ), and went alone to the church hall at Beverley Minster - totally unfamiliar to me. I was late and apprehensive at the prospect of joining complete strangers for a meal, which is how the course starts. The smallish room crowded with people sitting at tables with no familiar face and no vacant seat in sight! An organiser made space for me at a nearby table where the people seated seemed to know each other. It was difficult not to want to run away. During pleasantries, a man to my left asked had I lived in East Yorks all my life and I explained we had moved around, having lived in Manchester. Wakefield, Bradford and latterly Halifax area before Scarborough and then East Yorks. He said he'd an Aunt in Halifax and struggled to remember the name of the district though described the 'moor', a large area of grass called Saville Park. Belle Hall was the street his Aunt lived in. I knew it well. He went on to say his Aunt used to have carers in to look after her mother. I knew both the Aunt and her mother very well. I was one of the people that used to go in and care for her.

Mr g abrahams

Before the time of mobile phones I was in a phone box to phone a friend. There was a break through on the line and I heard two of the directors of the company I worked for discussing financial problems. Ilest the company and shortly afterwards it broke up

old acquaintance

I was born in Derry, NI and had lost contact with an old school friend. I read an article about her brother in our university graduate magazine which included his email address. At the time he was a prof in Astrophysics in Georgia Tech. I emailed him asking him for his sister's address. He picked up my email while he was on sabbatical in Harvard. We hadn't met for 35 years. The following day he went into the library and the librarian picked up his accent, asked if he was from Derry and if he knew my family? Nuala Rosher

Plane Crash in 1943

In 1943 a Messerschmitt was shot down over Woking,It fell in the garden of a house called "Little Ingestree",near Mytchett.In the garden was a circle of Yew trees with a mature Lime in the middle.The plane sliced right through the Lime,and there was considerable fire.Considering that Yew has been associated with death for hundreds of years,I think that this was remarkable.The crew are buried in Brookwood cemetary.Afterwards,a blacksmith made a brace and bolted the two parts of the tree together. It is worth mentioning that Rudolph Hess was held in a house about 100 yards from the crash site.

How close can you get

My wife and i went on a nile cruise. Standing in the queue to go through customs, we found we were behind a close friend and his wife. They were also going on a nile cruise. It later transpired thar not only were we on the same boat but that their cabin was immediately above ours and we could talk to each other from our balconies.

Birthday dates

Many of our family have been born on the same dates as the Royal Family. My sister was the first one to be known. She was born in Hull on the 14th. of November, 1948, the same day as Prince Charles. She was sent a silver-plated teaspoon as a gift. The spoon was known in our family as "the Charlie spoon".

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