Cambridge Coincidences Collection

Well I Never!

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

Missing playing card

We always take a pack of playing cards on holiday. Somehow the four of spades had gone missing and some years later whilst taking a walk in our neighbourhood I saw a playing card laying face down on the grass verge. I turned it over and guess what, it was the four of spades. It wasn't from the same pack as ours and just happened to be an amazing coincidence.

lost one bracelet and found two

In 1979 on one day I visited in-laws, went swimming and then to a concert at Queensway Hall Dunstable. While at the concert I noticed my bracelet was missing. I popped across the road to the leisure centre to see if it had been handed in. My bracelet was duly produced. The receptionist asked if I was sure it was mine. Yes, I replied. Thought no more about it. Next time I visited my in-laws, my mother-in-law produced a bracelet and said you left this here last time. I was incredulous. So now I have two identical bracelets. And yes I felt guilty that I had someone elses.

Furniture Fair

1. Some years ago I travelled to the Furniture Fair in Milan and, during a break, sat at a table and started talking to a stranger who obviously came from Australia. I asked him what part and he replied Pert. I said that my brother lived in Perth and he asked his name. I told him and he replied "Oh I know Simon" 2. On another occasion, I was in Johannesburg airport, about to return to Britain, when looking round happened to see someone that I had been at college with some 35 years earlier.

The Tale of Cleaning the Outdoor Toilet

A friend was cleaning out his outdoor toilet in preparation for a use-change into a potting shed. After having removed several layers of detritus he discovered that the newspaper used to originally cover the walls came from the exact date of his birth. What a coincidence.

Barbara

At least three times each week, I wake up in the night (either to go to the loo, turn over, or realise I've fallen asleep and my book socks me in the eye) - and on glancing at the bedside digital clock find that the time is either: 1.11 2.22 3.33 4.44 5.55. This has been happening for several years, and at first I found it quite spooky, but now I just smile and cuddle back under the duvet.

Unplanned encounters

Back in the 70s when I was teaching biology at a local comprehensive school in Devon, my husband and I used to go to London most Easter holidays to stay with his brother, and then spend a couple of days exploring the city. One morning in Foyles I was browsing the biology text books when I looked up and saw my head of department ten feet away doing the same thing. Half an hour later, and still reeling from the coincidence, I rounded the corner in Charing Cross Road and ran into the Head of Art from the same school.

Finding something lost

My daughter purchased a high quality Canon camera around 2 years ago, but within a few days lost the lens cap whilst on a trip to a local beauty spot. She then purchased another lens cap (and lost that too - she is somewhat scatty). She had to work on Christmas Day just gone - 2011 - but said a few days before that she would be back in the evening, so my husband, son and I decided we would wait until she came back before we opened our presents to each other.

Birthday coincidence

nephew and niece both born on the same day 3 years apart

VW beetle

In 1972 a bought a VW beetle; in the following three years the windscreen was shattered three times and on every occasion it was on Cup Final day. I had them replaced by the same firm, and as I drove away the second time the proprietor remarked "see you the same time next year". To say he was surprised when he did would be an understatement. As for coincidental birthdays, my maternal grandmother, my mother and her twin brothers were all born on July 10th (though she had three other siblings who were not). Colin Mayes, Crosreagh, Skeaf East, Timoleague, Co. Cork

Verbal coincidence

This happened on 21st April 2011 My wife made moussaka for dinner, which she rarely does, not even once a year. Almost as rarely, we had rocket salad because our local shop had sold out of the mixed salad we usually have. While my wife was serving the moussaka in the dining room I went into the kitchen to dress the rocket and switched on the radio. The station was Radio 4 and they were broadcasting a play. Almost the first thing I heard was the following: ‘What shall we have for dinner?’ ‘There’s some moussaka in the freezer.’ ‘But it’s frozen.’ ‘Put it in the microwave.

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