c4countdown

Ben Wilson

Matt Morrison wrote: ↑
Sun Nov 11, 2018 10:21 pm
Now, come on. Have you or have you just been Googling people off of Countdown's names?

Searching Wikipedia usually yields better results. Or unexpected ones, such as the top search result for 'Matt Bayfield'. Also, on that topic...

Ben Wilson

On the topic of football...

Ben Wilson

Last night's dreams started with CoNot VI, which was under threat from a saboteur leaving the wrong kind of cakes out for people to nibble on. Fortunately, this was quickly resolved, resulting in a final between Jen and Robbo (I woke up before I found out who was won). Next dream was explicitly bill...

Ben Wilson

Travelodge prices are still £76. The price for COLIN is also still £16 for both nights, which includes a freebie whether you like it or not in the shape of this year's puzzle magazine. If you're interested in contributing a puzzle to the magazine, let me know and space will be saved for it.

Ben Wilson

Countdown in Nottingham is never a definite 'no' for the next year, just a 'very unlikely unless someone else wants to pick up the baton'.

Also I'm up to 31 now thanks to CoCam earlier in the year.

Ben Wilson

Last night I dreamed I was assigned to work in Skegness for some reason, and I showed up at about 7am in my sleepwear and wrapped in a bedsheet (hey, they say 'dress for the job you want, not the job you have', right?). I enter a nearby pub to discover that my mum is now its owner and Tom Carey is a...

Ben Wilson

Do you even need to have a third person for Edinburgh-style? I don't see why that's a necessity and why it can't be done between two? Technically you don't but you'd need to draw each round separately, and the event would only be as fast as your slowest table. This has been known to be a hassle at ...

Ben Wilson

Most important things to consider when organising an event, in descending order- -Venue -Means of playing the game -Refreshments -Promotion of the event -Prizes -Other things like freebies -Format of the day (related to means of playing the game but much less relevant) (Technically you could also in...

Ben Wilson

Safe, an 8-part miniseries on Netflix starring Michael C. 'Dexter' Hall doing a passable English accent. Highly recommended (the show, the accent less so).

Ben Wilson

Double whammy last night. In the first, I'm taking a friend's trousers to be altered at a tailor's shop, the owner of whom is very unhappy to see me as it means he has to do work rather than playing darts, which is apparently more important to him. Long story short, I become persona non grata at eve...

Ben Wilson

I'm getting worse and worse at remembering details from dreams but last night I definitely remember being trapped in the Oval Office toilet having to deal with the aftermath of a truly apocalyptic poo when James Robinson dropped in and started telling be about an absolutely amazing thing that happen...

Ben Wilson

Had a brilliant one that I can hardly remember anything about other than Jen was trying to stuff Graeme into a wardrobe and I got the impression the reason was benevolent.

Ben Wilson

Probably 8 times a day. Yesterday my bladder went from empty to bursting in 40 minutes flat, which doesn't seem normal to me.

Ben Wilson

...And we're live.

The Ark has been confirmed for the Saturday and I've got my costings all worked out so get your cash to me asap to guarantee a place at what will undoubtedly be the most first co-event of 2019!

Ben Wilson

Matt Morrison wrote: ↑
Tue Aug 14, 2018 8:31 am
Apropos of not much, has Colin ever been held in Lincoln rather than Hykeham?

The first two were, which is IMHO enough to establish COLIN as a legacy name.

Ben Wilson

The formal announcement of COLIN has been delayed as there is no a doubt over whether we can have the Ark on the weekend in question. But fear not! I'm already looking at potential other venues.

Ben Wilson

Two unusual ones last night. In the first one, I'm walking through Lincoln when I bump into a friend I went to university in Nottingham with but who lived in Lincoln. He talks at me for a while (he always was a bit of an enthusiast when it came to talking), then I remember that I still have a ticket...

Ben Wilson

Also my spies tell me that co events are much more fun and nothing like the A level exam level of seriousness at a countdown tournament . I haven't played a scrabble tournament in six years and this is the main reason why. Jen wrote it much more succinctly in point 4 of her post- co-events are much...

Ben Wilson

3 or 4, can't be sure without checking. All from the world of Scrabble and all gone before their time.

Ben Wilson

JimBentley wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 31, 2018 8:58 pm
Plenty of other people feature, people I've known from school, from university, from previous jobs and so on, but never any Countdown people. What's that about, I wonder?

It could just mean you're normal.

Sorry about that.

Ben Wilson

Last night's dream is Countdown-related in the most tenuous sense of the word but the rest of it is mental enough that I feel it's worth sharing. I start by walking home along the back roads of North Hykeham, accompanied by Scrabble player and former Countdown quarter-finalist Brett Smitheram. I arr...

Ben Wilson

Particularly disturbing one last night. In my dream, the world was being overrun with robotic replicants, and me and my family are holed up in my late grandmother's conservatory being menaced by a robotic replica of James Robinson. We eventually concoct a way to defeat RoboRobbo by hitting him with ...

Ben Wilson

So last night, or rather this morning as I didn't get to bed until 1215. It started out with a semi-final of the show between hazel drury and mark deeks. Hazel won in convincing style, and everyone went back to the green room, where A snooker table had been set up in memory of the recently deceased ...

Ben Wilson

Hangover venue has been confirmed and is (surprise surprise) the Memorial Hall again. I had discovered a venue that was about a three minute walk* from my house but they don't do room bookings, despite the fact that they have in the past. Oh well. Prices will be announced once I work out costs which...

Ben Wilson

Very weird one a few nights ago. Long story short, I make a little girl cry, then me, Zarte and Dinos form a bowling team.

Ben Wilson

Last night I find myself reliving the final episode of Lost, where- spoiler- everyone is in the afterlife, in a church and ready to 'move on'. Much to my surprise/disappointment, my 'church' is full of countdowners and apterites. It's soon decided that the first thing that needs to be done is a wedd...

Ben Wilson

Young Steven Ogg, aka Trevor from Grand Theft Auto V, aka young Ted Bundy.

Ben Wilson

This has to be the earliest I've ever posted a COLIN thread but I felt the need to confirm the dates if nothing else. So, here we go: Dates: 19-20 January 2019 Venue (Saturday): The Ark, Moor Lane, North Hykeham Itinerary (Saturday): Doors open at 10am, round 1 draw is done at 11:30am, round 1 start...

Ben Wilson

Thomas Cappleman wrote: ↑
Fri May 18, 2018 9:56 am
Richard Brittain (according to a conversation on Apterous some time) lives on my walk to work. Not actually spotted him, but he said he saw me one time.

He's getting more skilled at his old hobby then?

Ben Wilson

Familiar face currently on podium 2 on pointless.

Ben Wilson

[This may actually have been 4 or 5 separate dreams, it's hard to tell given how curdled my subconscious is] Last night I was running a co-event in the Midlands somewhere (may even have been Nottingham) with Jeff Clayton and Lauren Hamer, however the start was delayed as the three of us had to compl...

Ben Wilson

Right then, last night I was apparently in Las Vegas, at a casino that was for some reason being held in my old school's main hall and the only game being played was Blackjack. An apterite I don't recognise wins a decent amount of money, and then we all get thrown out of the casino for something Dyl...

Ben Wilson

Semi-related, but through that first video, I found this, which I couldn't be more chuffed about.

Ben Wilson

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑
Fri Mar 30, 2018 8:30 pm
The latest series of The X-Files - disappointing.

Especially as Channel 5 have been broadcasting it at 11pm on a Monday evening.

Ben Wilson

I had a weird one last night that I can kinda remember... Sort of. I was running toward home, when I took a wrong turn through a rough neighbourhood and ended up at a ghetto sweet shop, where I end up confronted by an old woman forcing me to taste test various bits of chocolate to see whether or not...

Ben Wilson

13st 8lb, quite a bit overweight for my height (5' 10").

Or, if you're enlightened and like the metric system, 86kg, quite a bit overweight for my height (177cm).

Ben Wilson

Okay, so last night was an odd one. I started out by playing a game of No Man's Sky, the interminably dull sandbox space game, eventually landing on a deserted planet populated by alien monsters. I fashion together a makeshift cosh out of spare wire and quickly run into a guy named Chris, who I work...

Ben Wilson

A couple of recent ones. The first one saw me participate in some kind of illegal night street race around the streets of Lincoln (streets similar to this appropriately-named one ). I crash out of the race and roll the car, but am able to quickly fix it by sticking Renault logos to the front and bac...

Ben Wilson

Here's the updated stat file in case anyone's wondering.

Ben Wilson

...And then, the following day, 33 people showed up to play yet more Countdown at the COLIN XIV hangover- the fifth Sunday tournament I've run and the reason I'm so knackered today. :-) More prizes were on offer- this year I did a Tuff Luck prize at the hangover, which was taken home by MICHELLE NEV...

Ben Wilson

I'm just about back to normal after what was an incredibly tiring weekend, but definitely a fun one as well. 45 people in total over 2 days played lots of games of Countdown, drank a hell of a lot and (hopefully) had a great time launching another year of co-events and a third season of FOCAL. Thank...

Ben Wilson

Less than 48 hours to go and up to 40 entrants with the entry of the most recent series champ!

Ben Wilson

Two days to go and I've just realised I've been negligent in one regard- I haven't posted the seedings yet! Rather than do my usual thing of ridiculous numbers of calculations based on on-screen performance, etc. I've decided instead to do it a very simple way. And rather than explain this simple wa...

Ben Wilson

Weird one a couple of nights ago. I was apparently living in London, and woke up one morning to find a woman and her two children on my doorstep, having got it into their head that I'd agreed to give them all a lift to school/work. Not being one for confrontation, I agree to take them in my car, and...

Ben Wilson

The answers to the 2017 quiz.

Ben Wilson

26 paid up entries and just 26 days to go! It's time for me to make my usual appeals (and, apparently, pentapost at the same time) -If you can bring copies of the board game, please let me know. Physical copies of the dictionary aren't needed and haven't been for some time, we'll be using aptodic/OD...

Ben Wilson

Last night then, I find myself hosting a special bonus COLIN in December, apparently against my will for reasons that will become apparent in a bit. People are showing up, including Mark Tournoff and Jon Corby, and suddenly I discover that I'm completely unprepared for the event- no laptop, no conun...

Ben Wilson

Well, entries stayed at 23, so no special freebie for everyone- but I might put my hand in my pocket and see if I can't rustle something up anyway. :) Meantime, hope everyone has a good Christmas, and come Boxing Day, you have plenty of spare cash to send my way to secure your place at next month's ...

Ben Wilson

Turns out it took me just about 11 months to finish it. And I only got it done with 26 hours to spare. But here it is! Enjoy, everyone. Someone. One person? Maybe? Please?

Ben Wilson

Another day, another entry and another COLIN debutant in the form of David Hilton! Up to 23 now for Saturday, just 7 to go in 6 days to make me stick my hand in my pockets, this time for reasons that aren't likely to get me arrested. On a related note, neither COLIN XII nor COLIN XIII saw any player...

Ben Wilson

Up to 22 entries now and a COLIN debutant (the first one so far for 2018) in the form of Bradley Horrocks! Just 8 entries until I'm forced to think of a special freebie to buy/make everyone, and 8 days in which to get them...

Ben Wilson

Entry figures currently stand at 17 for Saturday and 16 for Sunday, which may seem a little low, but last year, the main event only got its 24th entry on December 22nd. So now's as good a time as any for an appeal/challenge. If the main event hits 30 entries by the 22nd of December this year, everyo...

Ben Wilson

And it turns out that sleeping in a hotel where a co-event was held is basically inviting ridiculous amounts of aptodreaming. The most frustrating thing about dreams is that you can never remember the start of them (false sodding awakenings aside), either that or they always begin in medias res. So ...

Ben Wilson

Results from today- final to be played shortly! STANDINGS Players are ranked by wins, then points. FOCAL Finals P W Pts 1 Rob Foster 7 7 481 2 Jen Steadman 7 4 448 3 Zarte Siempre 7 4 443 4 Tom Cappleman 7 4 427 5 Jonathan Wynn 7 4 401 6 Stephen Read 7 2 394 6 Thomas Carey 7 2 394 8 Graeme Cole 7 1 ...

Ben Wilson

Just finished the Blacklist redemption, which was good, but not quite up to the standards of the parent show. Currently watching Babylon 5 (for about the fifth time) all the way through on Pick every weekday evening at 8pm. If you've never seen the show I really can't recommend it enough, it was so ...

Ben Wilson

Rooms at the Ibis are currently available at £42 each through this link. Though to quote Matt Morrison, 'you'll probably have a fucking terrible time there', so book at your own peril.

Ben Wilson

Not a recent one, but an old one I had involved someone grafting the Countdown clock onto the front of the old Post Office in Lincoln. And in all fairness, it is crying out for it.

Ben Wilson

So a couple of nights ago, in my dream, I was working with Jeff Clayton, Jen Steadman and Matt Morrison on a science project. We're in some kind of classroom but I get the impression we were sort of working on it under pain of violence. However, we get to choose what we want to, and I end up choosin...

Ben Wilson

Turns out I'm not done with October yet, though no Zubair sadly (lucky for him?). I can't remember anything about the first part of the dream other than it was apparently amazing, but ended up with me getting told off by my manager for not making enough of an effort to integrate with my colleagues a...

Ben Wilson

It could have even been the same show (the cheerleaders one I think, hope I'm not stereotyping) where Richard straight up gave them an answer in another game. Possibly the game where they have to connect objects to make a series of compound words. He literally said "It's <complete answer, not even ...

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