Cambridge Coincidences Collection

Well I Never!

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

Meeting a freined abroad

Some years ago I was in Sydney, and wanting to walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, I was searching for the way to get up onto the bridge walkway. Just below the bridge was a large shop/souvenir store, so I went in to ask directions. There were alot of people in there, so I searched around to find someone to ask the question of. I ended up going to one of the counters and started to ask the girl for directions, when, halfway through my question, I noticed her looking at me oddly. Are you ... by any chance... Jamie D W, she asked?

coincidence of radio and singing

My sister turned off the radio, which was playing an opera, and my mother objected that she was listening to it. My sister said she didn't want to listen to... and then say three notes in a mocking high falsetto. When my mother turned the radio back on, the singer say exactly the same notes in the same rhythm.

Mutual friend identified

My brother-in-law was on a very small commuter plane in Maine when the young woman next to him said (in a Southern US accent) that she had had a professor in England whose accent was just like his. He responded as follows: 'You are a graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman's College and you spent your junior year in Reading, England where you took a course in British Politics from Alan Alexander'. He responded to her look of astonishment by telling her he was psychic!

Dancing Match

We were having dinner on a cruise boat in Amsterdam with a Danish colleague. The band played ballroom music and our friend told us he was a former ballroom dance world champion. Our ballroom teachers were also former champions and we discovered that they knew each other from their touring days.

Shared phone numbers

1 The phone number (excluding area codes applied over time) of my parents in Australia in the '70s was the same as that of my wife's parents in the UK at the same time. 2 I went into a barber's in my old home town in Australia (Castelmaine, Victoria) about 10 years ago for a haircut. We got talking about where I live in the UK (Bristol) and it transpired that his brother ran a local barbers just down the road from my house.

Bumping into Son

I was driving home on an unusual route (for me) at around 3.45/4pm, listening to a Radio 4 programme about 'Coincidences'. As I drove past a bus stop, someone leapt out of the crowd and it was my son (aged around 15). I asked him what on earth he was doing at that bus stop (which was quite a long way from his school and in the opposite direction from home) and he said that he often went to that bus stop in order to get a seat before it would stop at the 'normal' school stop.

Grandfather and Grandfather in law born same day and date and also my Friend

My daughter's grandfather in law and her grandfather were both born on 31 st August 1922 and I also discovered that a close friend, Brian, was born same day and date as me, 24 th August 1950.

Four people share a birthday

I was born on my mother’s 21st birthday – 12th February 1968. A few years ago I was chatting with the elderly gentleman who lived opposite us (he has since died), and I mentioned that it was my birthday next week. “Oh really,” he said. “Which day?” “On Wednesday the 12th.” “Oh, that’s my birthday too,” he said. “Really?” I said. “What a coincidence! It’s always been a special day in our family, because it’s my Mum’s birthday as well.” “Ah yes,” he said.

birthdays

5 of my friends have their birthday on the 23rd of April including my husband and his best friends first child. The 23rd is also st georges day and Shakespeares bday and the day he died?

meeting former colleague

In 1980 (age 15) I took a holiday job in newport - a tiny town in west wales (I'm from Cardiff). One of the locals who worked in the same cafe was called Topsy (similar age) (an unusual name). At the end of the holiday I returned to Cardiff and embarked on education and a career which took me all over the country. In 1998 I attended a theological college in Durham and found myself sharing a study with Chris (I'd never met him before); he was married to the same Topsy.

Pages