Cambridge Coincidences Collection

Well I Never!

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

Random encounter

In 1987 I was a teenager and went on holiday with my father, who wanted to take me to see Rome, Florence and Venice over the course of a lovely week in August. My stepbrother was inter-railing around Europe with his girlfriend - that was all I knew of his itinerary or planning. In Venice, my father and I stopped off down a little alleyway to grab a pizza and a coffee in a tiny one-room boutique. As I was ordering, my heart nearly leaped out of my chest when I heard my name bellowed out; my stepbrother had just walked in!

my friend called me from beyond

I had problems with my phone and the repair men came one morning. They gave me the different number at the end of their visit, saying that the other line could not be repaired. The number they gave me was 555 881. This was exactly symmetrical to my friend's number, which was 188 555. I rang her to tell her, and her mother told me that she had died that same morning.

Husband & Wife - Same Birthday

My wife and I have the same birthday although as I repeatedly point out I am a toy boy - if only by approximately 16 hours! Other than being a talking point the main issue is that forms requiring both of our birth dates are sometimes returned to us with a request that the date of birth "error" be corrected.

Bell ringers birthday coincidences

I was born on my Father's birthday, August 19th, 1954 for me, 1923 for him. Another ringer in the same bell tower was also born on August 19th but in 1962 also on her Father's birthday-August 19th 1923 As well!

One of many!

24th November 2002 my neighbours gave me 3 Kenny G c.d's,who I had never heard of but had admired when they had played him previously. 28th November 2002 went to a University of the Third Age presentation about the baking industry at the end of which the presenter got out a saxaphone and played a Kenny G number!

Norwich City/Purple Gang Coincidences

My first coincidence: In June 2004 I was sitting in the departure lounge of Dinard Airport in France, awaiting a flight back to the UK. Next to me were two strangers who struck up a conversation. One was from Norfolk (Swaffham?) while the other was from London. After a while, the Londoner announced that he was a huge Chelsea fan and asked the other if he liked football. “Not really” came the reply. “But I sort of follow Norwich City. In fact, one of the few matches I’ve ever seen was between Norwich and Chelsea, about 30 years ago.

Number plate date

In the summer of 2004, myself and my parents were on holiday in Austria. On 14th August, whilst walking through a village near to where we were staying, we walked past a car with a number plate that read '14AUG 04'!

paul gaffney

My parents both died of lung cancer.They both died at 62,on the same day(11th november). Both died 2 years apart,which made them both 62 years old. Both funerals were on the same date(2 years apart).Its a nice thought they both died on the same dates,but its a coincidence.

Bought at auction!

I was at an auction in London about 10 years ago and one lot was a box of paperwork, postcards, letters, things cut out of a newspapers, just a box of odds and ends. I had no intention of buying the box (and had not even looked in it). Unfortunately for the auctioneer, nobody wanted this lot and he looked at me because I tended to buy 'cheap' things that wouldnt sell.

Birthday coincidence

My birthday. 18th February Brother 1. 18th October Sister. 27th November Brother 2. 27th May Father. 22nd April Daughter. 22nd April

Pages