Cambridge Coincidences Collection

Well I Never!

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

Husband & wife

My first date with my husband was at the Gourmet Pizza on the South Bank in London. By way of making light conversation he complained to me that for years, with his long hair, he'd been teased mercilessly by comparisons with Neil the Hippy from The Young Ones and if he ever met the character's creator he'd not answer for the consequences and would...the sentence was never quite finished as we both simultaneously spotted, sitting two tables away from us, Nigel Planer himself. My husband and I, met in London but grew up about 40 miles apart in Cheshire and Liverpool respectively. He is a year younger than me. We've since discovered that the Methodist Minister who Christened me at St Peter's in Liverpool shortly left and was posted straight to...my husband's family church in Crewe.
Total votes: 600
Date submitted:Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:53:39 +0000Coincidence ID:3575

Guessing a number

When I started as a first year university student, I joined a queue with other students to get a locker allocated and receive a key. Bored, and for not particular reason apart from boredom, I asked myself whether the key would be no. 521. When my turn came, some 15 minutes later, I was given key no. 521. I was so surprised I at first did not take the key and asked why I had been given that one. As can be imagined, I was given an odd look and asked what was wrong with it whereupon I took it and left. In the queue, I had not guessed lots of different numbers, just the one. Neither before then or since have I ever been in a situation where a number came into my mind.
Total votes: 419
Date submitted:Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:52:45 +0000Coincidence ID:3574

Same place, same time

Last weekend I was walking my dogs down a long narrow lane near my home. A couple walking their dog approached in the opposite direction, and as we came closer a cyclist appeared behind them. We all met at exactly the same place in the long narrow lane in a melee of people and dogs! I experience this quite often whilst driving. Why is it that I always seem to meet a bus or lorry at the narrowest part of the road? Why does there seem to be a cyclist on every blind bend just as I arrive? I have long been a believer in Sod's Law but it's more likely to be the result of my selective memory!
Total votes: 506
Date submitted:Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:52:43 +0000Coincidence ID:3573

Mrs M S and July 18th

My father was born on July 18th, his father died on July 18th, I had a miscarriage on July 18th and 1 year later my son was born on July 18th
Total votes: 531
Date submitted:Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:52:23 +0000Coincidence ID:3572

Dates of birth, meeting

My birth was finally registered in Livingstone, Northern Rhodesia on the 8th. of August, 1951. (I was born in Ndola, on the 17th. of June, 1951.) Twenty years later, our elder son and first child was born in London on the 8th. of August, 1971. A year before, I met my parents-in-law for the first time on the 8th. of August, 1970. In 1951 and 1971, there were strikes at both hospitals of the births. "Coincidence is God's way of remaining invisible." I heard someone say on the radio decades ago...
Total votes: 601
Date submitted:Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:52:21 +0000Coincidence ID:3571

Elizabeth C

I have one brother. My parents died on our birthdays. My father died on 4th January 1976, my brother's 30th birthday and my mother died on my 61st birthday 14th May 2009.
Total votes: 632
Date submitted:Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:51:57 +0000Coincidence ID:3570

A Dream Which Almost Came True

I dreamt one night that I was at work. The emergency evacuation alarm went off followed by an announcement which seemed very confusing. With other colleagues I tried to find my way out of the building, but the lights went out, and it was rather scary and in my dream we got lost. Next morning I told a colleague while we were standing at the coffee machine. That lunchtime I went out to do some shopping and to spend a short time in St James' Park. When I got back this colleague told me that I had missed an emergency evacuation. Not only that, but the Incident Officer who was the person responsible for setting off the alarm, had a heart-attack in the middle of his announcement. Scary or what!
Total votes: 491
Date submitted:Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:51:08 +0000Coincidence ID:3569

Identical mileage readings at same location

On 8 Jan 12, I was driving my partners car (a Y Reg Rover 25) southbound on the M5 as we passed Michael Wood Services when her odometer reached 55,555 miles (five fives). This is not a route we drive often. Only two days later I was driving my own car (a 54 Reg Honda Civic) southbound on the M5 when its mileage hit 55,555 miles at the same location.
Total votes: 625
Date submitted:Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:50:55 +0000Coincidence ID:3568

Family of five all born on Thursdays

Martin R born 03/11/1951 Elisabeth R born 30/10/1952 Gabriella R born 25/06/1981 Rebecca R born 21/03/1985 Lucy R born 19/01/1989 Lucy was a few days late , But we knew she would be born on the Thursday!
Total votes: 522
Date submitted:Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:50:41 +0000Coincidence ID:3567

Wrong Number

When I was a teenager, a group of us went to Liskeard in Cornwall for our first holiday together without our parents. Whilst out visiting the local beauty spots, we walked beside a public telephone box and could hear the phone was ringing. First of all we just laughed and ignored it but on passing, I felt the sudden urge to go back and answer it. I picked up the phone and somebody said "Is that you Carol"? Well I was stunned but I answered yes. It was my aunt on the end of the phone who was trying to contact my father to advise him there had been a death in the family. I have puzzled over this all of my life. My family lived in Wallington, Surrey and my aunt lived in Sutton, Surrey. How did that call get through to a public phone box in Cornwall just as I was walking by?
Total votes: 644
Date submitted:Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:50:16 +0000Coincidence ID:3566

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