Cambridge Coincidences Collection

Well I Never!

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

Walking coincidence

I was having a really rough time. I was just starting college and already second guessing my major of music as I got into the lowest choir, whereas my boyfriend had gotten into the highest. My dad hadn’t helped much with making some comments, and it had all gotten to me. I picked myself up and went on a walk. I was just walking in my neighborhood by myself. I was talking out loud and complaining that I just felt so incredibly lost. I didn’t know if I had made a mistake, and if I was just going to be miserable as a music major.

Three family members dying on same day, different years

Over the course of about 10 years, 3 family members have died on April 26 but in different years. April 26, 2010, my grandfather Thomas Martinez died from blood loss after a tumor removal surgery in CA. April 26, 2010 my cousin Jonathan Martinez died of Lukemia in CA. April 26, 2020 my great-uncle died of COVID-19 in Mexico. We are wondering who else will die on April 26.

North Carolina Natives

I am a native of North Carolina, USA. After my completing my graduate degree, I worked with a congregation in Greenville, South Carolina for fifteen years. During those years, I had the opportunity to take a group of teenagers to a conference in Germany. On that trip, we visited Dachau. Walking up to the entrance, our group meshed with other people walking in the same direction. I found myself walking beside a family and struck up a conversation with the father, who was closest in proximity.

Siblings Meeting with Siblings

A new person was attending a meeting in my town in North Carolina. We had 5 minutes to talk. She had moved from Georgia where my brother lives. I told her my brother lived in Augusta. Her sister lived in Augusta too. I clarified that he actually lived in a suburb, Evans. So did her sister. We inquired about church membership and found they were members of the same church. When I got home, I called my brother. He had been at a meeting with one sister in Augusta during the same time I was meeting with the other sister in North Carolina.

Ancestors

I was engaged in genealogical research to support an application to Sons of the American Revolution. The material I gathered traced our line back to the mid-1500s in central England, with our first ancestor to the colonies arriving around 1625. His name was Thomas, and he was listed as one of the "Founders of Hartford, Connecticut." He fought in the Pequot War, and lived "on the road to the cow pasture, now Main Street in Hartford." I met with Kevin, a current SAR member here in Indiana, for him to review the application and advise if anything was missing.

From Bargemon to Mill Hill to Eze

I am a painter and author. In 2002 I had an exhibition in Eze on the French Riviera, I had editorial promoting the expo published in an English magazine called New Riviera. The editor suggested I contact someone who was on the same page as me, the gallery owner, Guy Beddington. He lived far from where we were, based in the beautiful village of Bargemon. Unfortunately my work was not suited to his gallery, but as I was leaving he wrote a name on a card. She was a good client of his. I do not want to mention the name, but she lived in a villa in Eze village.

Similarity in our sons' lives

Two years ago I was in the hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, having knee replacement surgery. The other patient in the room was about my age and having shoulder surgery, We both were sociable people and ended up talking a good deal, telling the head nurse that our stay was turning out to be fun. And as mothers will do, we talked about our children.

Eye Test

I was in my front garden when two elderly gentleman struck up a conversation. One said he was overdue an eye test which he had put off due to Covid etc. That reminded me that I should arrange a routine eye test myself. One hour later a letter arrived from Boots asking me to make contact regarding an eye test.

Randomly meeting people

I did an MA in Belgium where I met a French colleague. After the MA I went to Italy for a symposium where I met a Brazilian colleague. When I added the Brazilian on Facebook, she told me she knew the French one because they were flatmates in South Africa. We are all social scientists with an international bent, but from different fields.

Musical Destiny

I belong to a fraternity in NJ, I had heard of a brother of a friend(John)of mine being on his death bed. Fast foward about 4 to 5 weeks, I don't hear anything, so as I left work one Friday, I said I'm going to call a mutual friend (Daryl) and inquire of the health of Johns brother. Within 5 minutes my own brother calls me and I never make the call to Daryl,. I get home, wife is making dinner, as I often do I try to expose her to the music I listened to while growing up.

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