Search found 539 matches

by Matt Bayfield
Sat Jan 11, 2020 9:49 pm
Forum: Other game shows
Topic: Only Connect
Replies: 169
Views: 93409

Re: Only Connect

This may be addressed elsewhere, but I'm too lazy to check: When is Only Connect filmed? More specifically - is it ever filmed in the summer, so someone with (amazing, but) inflexible work holidays (like a teacher) could take part? Many of the episodes are filmed at weekends or during Easter holida...
by Matt Bayfield
Tue Nov 19, 2019 6:30 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: ProRanks history video
Replies: 11
Views: 7606

Re: ProRanks history video

Oh whoops. Yes, that actually is the reason - my code gathering the data from each page expected names to contain letters and spaces only. Also means that any week that you should be in is wrong, as everyone else's rating will be shifted by one. Will upload a fixed version later. Would this non-alp...
by Matt Bayfield
Wed Oct 09, 2019 12:08 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: People you shouldn't trust
Replies: 921
Views: 392733

Re: People you shouldn't trust

People who set their clocks fast. I've never understood anyone who has done this because they all know that it's 5, 10, or whatever minutes fast, which surely defeats the point... A frequently-quoted and plausible reason why people do this, is that the computation you have to do, e.g. "my cloc...
by Matt Bayfield
Tue Oct 08, 2019 8:40 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Outing Gevin! (& similar fun activities suitable for a rainy Tuesday afternoon)
Replies: 24
Views: 14423

Re: Outing Gevin! (& similar fun activities suitable for a rainy Tuesday afternoon)

Fiona T wrote: Tue Oct 08, 2019 6:15 pm...not being found by employer/crazy ex...
I'd've stopped working for them after the relationship ended.
by Matt Bayfield
Sat Jan 12, 2019 10:35 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: COLIN XV- Countdown in Lincoln, 19-20 January 2019
Replies: 59
Views: 61073

Re: COLIN XV- Countdown in Lincoln, 19-20 January 2019

Ben Wilson wrote: Sat Jan 12, 2019 10:00 pmMore on the seedings: there's another very strong player whose name isn't on the list yet but who will almost certainly enter and will almost certainly end up in pot C. There's a spare COLIN XIII hangover mug for anyone who guesses who. :-)
Tom Carey.
by Matt Bayfield
Sun Nov 18, 2018 1:20 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Things normal people normally own but you don't own for some reason
Replies: 66
Views: 118046

Re: Things normal people normally own but you don't own for some reason

I have never owned an umbrella. An umbrella is a device which deflects rain coming only from directly above you. This, together with its tendency to flip inside out and/or act as a sail, makes it largely useless in even a moderate wind. (Funnily enough, wind and rain often go together.) Even when it...
by Matt Bayfield
Tue Oct 23, 2018 3:59 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Do you think it is wrong ?
Replies: 16
Views: 9041

Re: Do you think it is wrong ?

...last letters round, I'm 40 points ahead, the first eight letters are NNSTRIEO... You didn't need to go to the 8th letter - what kind of amateur picks five consonants to start, and not some permutation of 4C 3V from the first seven? Back to topic, I'm not aware of any rating system which is parti...
by Matt Bayfield
Thu May 17, 2018 11:06 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: the Countdowners Outside Co:Event Meet-ups game (COCMEAT)
Replies: 97
Views: 77887

Re: the Countdowners Outside Co:Event Meet-ups game (COCMEAT)

Adding to the debate on COCMEAT eligibility, I've listed 32 different apterites/Countdowners, none of whom I knew prior to getting involved in Countdown-related activities, who I have subsequently met completely outside the context of Countdown, Scrabble, or organised quizzing (with the sole excepti...
by Matt Bayfield
Tue May 15, 2018 7:12 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: the Countdowners Outside Co:Event Meet-ups game (COCMEAT)
Replies: 97
Views: 77887

Re: the Countdowners Outside Co:Event Meet-ups game (COCMEAT)

My COCMEAT Index is swelled - and is probably well in excess of 50 nowadays - by my attendance at quizzing events. There's a large intersection in the Venn diagram of quizzers and Countdowners. (I still think the total would be somewhere between 30 and 50 if quiz events were excluded, though I didn'...
by Matt Bayfield
Sat Mar 31, 2018 10:31 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: A Conundrum Alphabet... while you wait
Replies: 8
Views: 9707

Re: A Conundrum Alphabet... while you wait

It's TOKOLOSHE, I think. Very much a word which instantly jumps out if you've heard of it, but is otherwise fairly unguessable.
by Matt Bayfield
Wed Nov 01, 2017 4:44 pm
Forum: Other game shows
Topic: Only Connect
Replies: 169
Views: 93409

Re: Only Connect

1) Mark Lewis-Francis Obikwelu
2) Yelena Isinbayevalerie Adams
3) Steve Cramantle Montsho
4) Lorraine Ugenzebe Dibaba
by Matt Bayfield
Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:19 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Dartsdown
Replies: 4
Views: 4087

Re: Dartsdown

I've come up with a letters variant. In brief: The host picks 2 consonants, 1 vowel. The clock starts, player A has a combined n seconds (again, I suggest n = 60) to throw 6 darts at a board annotated with letters in the various scoring segments and form a word. The 6 letters player A throws are com...
by Matt Bayfield
Wed Oct 11, 2017 11:14 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Dartsdown
Replies: 4
Views: 4087

Re: Dartsdown

Lots of pissibilities for variants here. Given that we only have one board, I propose each round as follows: 1. The officiator generates a target, e.g. 797, and keeps it secret from other players. This target remains the same for all players. Non-playing spectators may be told the target, e.g. by wr...
by Matt Bayfield
Sun Oct 08, 2017 9:18 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: COLIN XIV- Countdown in Lincoln, 27-28 January 2018
Replies: 38
Views: 34306

Re: COLIN XIV- Countdown in Lincoln, 27-28 January 2018

It's noticeable that a room for COLIN weekend is more expensive than a room for either the weekends before, or the weekends after. I think Travelodge may have realised that their Thorpe-on-the-Hill establishment is in demand for the last weekend every January. Current prices (before application of t...
by Matt Bayfield
Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:16 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: CO-MSO 2017
Replies: 34
Views: 23891

Re: CO-MSO

That conundrum scramble must have been METALATES, not METALITES as currently recapped, to maintain the theme running through the solutions?
by Matt Bayfield
Tue Aug 22, 2017 5:18 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Countdown in the pub
Replies: 25
Views: 15340

Re: Countdown in the pub

I've been a fan of the Frank & Walters for years, so I'd always wanted to visit Cork City. (Yes, I got a picture in front of the mural on the old Kino...) We liked Cork - it seems to have pretty vibrant sports, arts, and social scenes. We got chatting to a couple of folks who had turned one of t...
by Matt Bayfield
Tue Aug 15, 2017 8:58 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Best 9 of all time
Replies: 17
Views: 14583

Re: Best 9 of all time

If we're talking about the related subject of Dictionary Corner spots, then CUNJEVOIS fell out of the selection brilliantly in Episode 5344 when a J appeared as the ninth letter. However, words like CUNJEVOIS, MYOGLOBIN, LORAZEPAM, etc, appear more impressive as they are outside of normal vocabulary...
by Matt Bayfield
Tue Aug 15, 2017 8:32 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Countdown in the pub
Replies: 25
Views: 15340

Re: Countdown in the pub

Ha! Loz and I have been in Cork City since Sunday and we walked past this pub today. We had no idea it was a hotbed of Countdown and quizzing.)

(Sadly, it's our last night in Cork, so we won't be able to pay a visit. A shame I didn't see this thread earlier.)
by Matt Bayfield
Wed Jul 19, 2017 5:55 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: TENNIS
Replies: 136
Views: 37988

Re: TENNIS

Federer is one of a small number who has a valid claim to be the greatest men's singles tennis player of all-time, and his men's singles results of 2017 strengthen that claim. Greatest tennis player of all-time is an entirely different matter, and must also include career achievements in men's doubl...
by Matt Bayfield
Sun Jul 16, 2017 10:54 am
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Count to Infinity in Pictures
Replies: 53
Views: 38474

Re: Count to Infinity in Pictures

Embracing the classics:
Image
by Matt Bayfield
Sun Jun 25, 2017 12:30 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Count to Infinity in Pictures
Replies: 53
Views: 38474

Re: Count to Infinity in Pictures

And in history of Pakistan:
Image
by Matt Bayfield
Wed Jun 14, 2017 4:38 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Count to Infinity in Pictures
Replies: 53
Views: 38474

Re: Count to Infinity in Pictures

Turning out for a Chennai Super Kings XI...
Image
by Matt Bayfield
Fri May 12, 2017 3:53 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: Too quick!
Replies: 6
Views: 6135

Re: Too quick!

Vik: You can try playing in Practice mode. It has much, much more generous "patience time" on each step of the numbers interface, and likewise much more generous "patience time" to type in each following letter of your conundrum solution once you've typed in the first letter. Go ...
by Matt Bayfield
Thu May 04, 2017 6:15 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Lance Armstrong and "doping" generally
Replies: 121
Views: 36108

Re: Lance Armstrong and "doping" generally

...Kathy Cook's 49.40s was set around that time because she was competing against them. It's still the British record and I don't think she was cheating. If my memory (backed up by Wikipedia) is correct, Cook's British record was 49.43. This was surpassed by Christine Ohuruogu's 49.41 at the 2013 W...
by Matt Bayfield
Tue Apr 18, 2017 9:08 am
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Music connection question
Replies: 60
Views: 40873

Re: Music connection question

Marc Meakin wrote: Mon Apr 17, 2017 6:16 pm ...
Ryan Lawrie, pop singer
Lawrie Lee, author
Lee Newton, comedienne
...
Nice work.

Minor note: I can't find a Lawrie Lee at all. Did you mean Laurie Lee?
by Matt Bayfield
Fri Apr 14, 2017 10:32 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Football grounds you've been to
Replies: 57
Views: 42666

Re: Football grounds you've been to

Quiz question. Two different grounds, on each of which I've seen three different teams play a home game. There must be lots of example of three teams having used the same ground over a short period, but the only one which springs to my mind immediately for English professional clubs is Selhurst Par...
by Matt Bayfield
Thu Apr 13, 2017 11:23 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Football grounds you've been to
Replies: 57
Views: 42666

Re: Football grounds you've been to

I've seen either club or international football matches at: Carrow Road (Norwich City) De Kuip (Feyenoord) The Valley (Charlton Athletic) National Hockey Stadium (MK Dons, former stadium) Wembley Stadium (England) Stonebridge Road (Ebbsfleet United) Vicarage Road (Watford) There are other football g...
by Matt Bayfield
Fri Feb 24, 2017 6:50 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Best ways to improve your Countdowning skills...
Replies: 23
Views: 14271

Re: Best ways to improve your Countdowning skills...

In addition to all of the above, if you want to win a series, I'd say apply early - like before about 2001. The standard of the top players has gone up quite a lot since around then, and obviously even more after Apterous came into existence in 2008. Gevin's advice is endorsed by past Countdown cha...
by Matt Bayfield
Mon Feb 20, 2017 6:01 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: Your preferred format for CO-events
Replies: 74
Views: 31502

Re: Your preferred format for CO-events

But yeah it's good that Jono's cheating is counteracted - then again as this was computer-based, I thought the algorithm would be Countdown-style, and not allow for the freak rounds we had a couple of times where we had 4 of the same consonant/vowel and so on. My Excel spreadsheet (which is the one...
by Matt Bayfield
Mon Feb 06, 2017 7:02 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: the Countdowners Outside Co:Event Meet-ups game (COCMEAT)
Replies: 97
Views: 77887

Re: the Countdowners Outside Co:Event Meet-ups game (COCMEAT)

Even excluding gatherings in Manchester to watch recordings of Countdown, my list would include at least 34 Countdowners/apterites. (I'll spare you the list.) If I add on people I've met at Countdown recordings, I imagine the total would be over 50.
by Matt Bayfield
Sun Feb 05, 2017 8:45 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: the Countdowner's Homes I've Been In game (CHIBIN)
Replies: 39
Views: 44289

Re: the Countdowner's Homes I've Been In game (CHIBIN)

Excluding picking people up from outside their houses, from memory: Jeff Clayton (previous residence) Matt & Heather Jack & Josh Hurst (previous residence) Anna Woodward In theory, Loz (previous residence) as well. I'm also proposing the game PIMPVOC (Passengers in my Private Vehicle off Cou...
by Matt Bayfield
Sun Feb 05, 2017 8:37 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: the Countdowners In My Place game (CIMP)
Replies: 38
Views: 30568

Re: the Countdowners In My Place game (CIMP)

We'd prefer a reputation as antisocial buggers, but we've had the pleasure of visits from:

Andy Platt
Giles Hutchings
Graeme Cole
Jeff Clayton
Jen Steadman
Mark Deeks
Zarte Siempre

Loz can also claim Jen, Mark and I at her previous address.
by Matt Bayfield
Wed Feb 01, 2017 4:32 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: Countdown in London 2011
Replies: 180
Views: 41805

Re: Countdown in London 2011

I owe it all to Jimmy Saville I remember saying Jim fixed it for me when accepting my trophy. An unfortunate claim, given the subsequent revelation of his crimes, but at the time of writing (Saville's death was announced shortly before the final of COLON2011), it was a topical gag reflecting the un...
by Matt Bayfield
Sun Jan 15, 2017 5:57 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: C4C/apto/Countdown Dreams
Replies: 758
Views: 399395

Re: C4C/apto/Countdown Dreams

Ben Wilson wrote:So last night I'm hosting CoNot, which luckily has a massive attendance (including a phenomenally pissed-off Matt Bayfield)...
That'll be the last time I attend one of your dreams where the round template is drawn from a hat. Gevin's Delight, indeed...
by Matt Bayfield
Sat Dec 24, 2016 12:34 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Ask Graeme?
Replies: 1740
Views: 682583

Re: Ask Graeme?

In the first 9 of the 10 letters rounds in this game , the longest word(s) available were all 8 letters in length. Only in the final letters round, was this perfect pattern spoiled, when the maxes were only 7 letters in length. Is this the closest a televised (old or new) 15R game has ever been, to ...
by Matt Bayfield
Fri Dec 23, 2016 5:13 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: Your preferred format for CO-events
Replies: 74
Views: 31502

Re: Your preferred format for CO-events

I think one or two of the criticisms of classroom are a bit harsh, particularly the "randomly-drawn games can cause anomolies". It's all part of the fun... We disagree here. I wouldn't describe the thrashings that result far more often from random draws, to be much fun for anyone. The mos...
by Matt Bayfield
Wed Dec 21, 2016 9:20 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: Your preferred format for CO-events
Replies: 74
Views: 31502

Re: Your preferred format for CO-events

Nowadays, I prefer Co-events to be played on a board of 15 squares by 15 squares, with each player having their own selection of seven letters, which they must also manage in order to retain favourable selections for future rounds. Scoring should be based, in loose terms, on the obscurity of the let...
by Matt Bayfield
Thu Dec 08, 2016 11:16 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: So, who will be the founding member of Countdown's "1000 CLUB"?
Replies: 129
Views: 82533

Re: So, who will be the founding member of Countdown's "1000 CLUB"?

To score near the elevated available maxes of recent times, you'd need a player who regularly spots most of the new ODO obscure but high probability nines. This is someone for whom e.g. RANTIPOLE becomes a routine spot, in much the same way that e.g. SEALPOINT became a routine spot for apterites of ...
by Matt Bayfield
Thu Dec 01, 2016 2:13 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: New fivers not meat-free
Replies: 15
Views: 4432

Re: New fivers not meat-free

* although the new notes don't burn, they just melt in an intriguing manner The lengths the Bank of England will go to, to spoil Cauty and Drummond's fun. I'm interested to see if the Scottish banknote issuers (Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank) now capitalize on what must b...
by Matt Bayfield
Thu Nov 10, 2016 10:09 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: Apterites who have yet to appear on Countdown
Replies: 50
Views: 35987

Re: Apterites who have yet to appear on Countdown

AFAIK: - Rob, Nguyen and Bayf don't want to go on I can confirm that even when I was a regular Co-event attendee, I never had any desire to appear on televised CD. I achieved my final English language Countdown goal when I finished 8th at Co:KL 2015 (thereby giving me a full set of top ten finishes...
by Matt Bayfield
Mon Oct 17, 2016 5:46 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Guinness World Record Attempt....
Replies: 18
Views: 8611

Re: Guinness World Record Attempt....

The Guinness site lists the current world records as 11 (tennis balls in 1 minute, individual) and 14 (soft toys in 30 seconds, team of two).
by Matt Bayfield
Thu Aug 18, 2016 11:59 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Le Mot Le Plus Long
Replies: 4
Views: 2489

Re: Le Mot Le Plus Long

As far as I'm concerned, this once excellent 1960s show jumped the shark in 1972.
by Matt Bayfield
Thu Jun 02, 2016 10:01 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: What books have you been reading lately?
Replies: 58
Views: 19476

Re: What books have you been reading lately?

I've read three books this year. In what might be the narrowest niche of literary tastes, all three are autobiographies of female American guitarists: Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl: A Memoir by Carrie Brownstein (published 05-Nov-15) Living Like A Runaway: A Memoir by Lita Ford (07-Apr-16) The Rise,...
by Matt Bayfield
Sat Feb 06, 2016 10:12 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Ask Graeme?
Replies: 1740
Views: 682583

Re: Ask Graeme?

Would it be possible, in terms of comparing scores for different formats, to go through the entire database, and determine: Lm = mean score for a Letters round, which I imagine is something below 5, bearing in mind that many contestants score zero because their opponent has a longer word Nm = mean s...
by Matt Bayfield
Thu Jan 28, 2016 11:09 pm
Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
Topic: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)
Replies: 13
Views: 4669

Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Ah, Gary PALLISTER in Episode 5689. Very nice.
by Matt Bayfield
Thu Jan 28, 2016 6:28 pm
Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
Topic: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)
Replies: 13
Views: 4669

Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Round 1: S H N E U O W M I Tim: SHOWMEN (7) Margaret: WHINES (6) DC: INHUMES (7) WINSOME (7) OT: HEINOUS (7) MOHSINE (7) Score: 7–0 (max 7) When I watched this show, the first thing I saw in this round was legendary Nigerian footballer E SHOWUNMI . Anyone remember any other sports stars' names maki...
by Matt Bayfield
Mon Jan 25, 2016 5:45 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Trident alternatives
Replies: 30
Views: 8036

Re: Trident alternatives

Assuming it could be manufactured, your steel sphere would weigh approximately 4 million metric tonnes. I'm guessing that finding a power source to move a non-buoyant object 80 times the mass of the QE2 liner, might be a problem.
by Matt Bayfield
Sun Jan 24, 2016 2:04 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Celebrity fun
Replies: 42
Views: 5071

Re: Celebrity fun

You only need to check Google/Wikipedia or whatever to see what his mum's maiden name. I hope Dyer's changed his security question on his bank account. I wonder if we could extend this thread to wrongs which we have done to celebrities. I'll open the bidding by admitting that I once stomped on the ...
by Matt Bayfield
Sat Jan 16, 2016 7:56 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: How many UK cities have you been to?
Replies: 43
Views: 16235

Re: How many UK cities have you been to?

England: Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Canterbury, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Chester, Coventry, Durham, Ely, Exeter, Hereford, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, London*, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Ripon, Salford, Sheff...
by Matt Bayfield
Fri Jan 15, 2016 8:22 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Legalities of posting clips on Youtube
Replies: 12
Views: 5351

Re: Legalities of posting clips on Youtube

Is there where the max was SOCIETY and you said "that's a f***king great word"?
by Matt Bayfield
Thu Jan 14, 2016 4:58 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: How many countries have you been to?
Replies: 172
Views: 81739

Re: How many countries have you been to?

I've visited, and stayed for at least 2 nights, in all of the following: 1. UK (England, Wales, Scotland only) 2. The Netherlands 3. Belgium 4. France 5. USA 6. Australia 7. Norway 8. Canada 9. Republic of Ireland 10. Spain 11. Germany 12. Austria 13. Liechtenstein I've also stopped off for a few ho...
by Matt Bayfield
Sat Jan 09, 2016 10:51 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: How many Letters puzzles are there in total?
Replies: 25
Views: 5954

Re: How many Letters puzzles are there in total?

How many possible contestants are there? The population of the world is 7 billion, so 6,999,999,999 unless you somehow persuade Matt Bayfield to apply. Can we have 'likes' back etc.? Seriously Matt though, apply now. Kind of you to suggest it, Jim, but Graeme's right. I'm sure the last sort of appl...
by Matt Bayfield
Fri Dec 18, 2015 3:53 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: C4C/apto/Countdown Dreams
Replies: 758
Views: 399395

Re: C4C/apto/Countdown Dreams

You'll have to try harder than that, Heather, if you want to convince Susie to allow PLASTICINES^ under the "restaurant" rule.

(Although I do suspect that under the current format, there might also be a problem with not all the letters being there.)
by Matt Bayfield
Fri Nov 20, 2015 7:40 am
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: CO:parkrun Recaps
Replies: 579
Views: 287507

Re: CO:parkrun Recaps

Similarly, and more recently, in his early career, triple jumper and occasional Countdown DC guest Jonathan Edwards, a devout Christian at the time, refused to compete on a Sunday. (I don't know whether his faith extended to his refusing to train on a Sunday.)
by Matt Bayfield
Sun Nov 15, 2015 1:06 am
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: CO:parkrun Recaps
Replies: 579
Views: 287507

Re: CO:parkrun Recaps

With a time of 13:19 , Michael McCabe is the fastest wheelchair athlete I can find in parkrun records. Presumably that time was achieved in a racing chair. I'd be curious to know the fastest time in a conventional chair, although this would be hard to determine as the type of chair is not recorded. ...
by Matt Bayfield
Sun Oct 11, 2015 12:52 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Countdown mentions on other shows
Replies: 315
Views: 136774

Re: Countdown mentions on other shows

Funnily enough, whilst viewing this episode of OC, "ways of picking Countdown numbers" was my first guess as soon as "Whitehall" appeared. I would never have risked it for 5 points had I been on the show.
by Matt Bayfield
Sat Oct 10, 2015 6:02 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: CO:parkrun Recaps
Replies: 579
Views: 287507

Re: CO:parkrun Recaps

Cambridge Freshers' Fun Run - surely race of the day https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQ8tJ_aWsAABRy-.png Ha, I've done that race three times - sadly in the years before the full results were recorded online - but my training diary has the following recorded: 10-Oct-93: 20:06 (no position recorded) 08-O...
by Matt Bayfield
Tue Jun 30, 2015 8:45 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: C4C/apto/Countdown Dreams
Replies: 758
Views: 399395

Re: C4C/apto/Countdown Dreams

Ben Wilson wrote:Andy Platt complains that every single word declared is not a word.
Not a dream.
by Matt Bayfield
Sun Jun 28, 2015 9:34 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Quick cryptographical one
Replies: 14
Views: 4937

Re: Quick cryptographical one

Cheers Jim. I'd got "a" and space correct, as it turns out, but trying to work out common words in the first line, I got stuck due to the presence of proper nouns!
by Matt Bayfield
Fri Jun 26, 2015 8:19 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Quick cryptographical one
Replies: 14
Views: 4937

Re: Quick cryptographical one

One of the non-printing characters appears to be a backspace, which makes me think these are all shifted by a certain step to a character later in a character set, more usually obtained with e.g. an alt-code. I did manually try to match the most commonly-appearing letters of the alphabet in English,...