c4countdown

As those who attended COLIN will already be aware, I'm pleased to announce yet another new event on the Countdown tournament calendar: Countdown in King's Lynn or Co:KL for short.

For those of you who don't know, King's Lynn is a town on the Wash in the west of Norfolk. (For those of you who don't know where Norfolk is, there's always Wikipedia or satnav!)

The event is taking place on Saturday 23rd of May (yes, that's the bank holiday weekend - sorry, any League Two fans who may prefer to watch their team in the play-off final) and will be a Lincoln-style tournament, with everyone playing six 9-round games followed by a 15-round grand final for the top two players at the end of the day. And there'll be none of that Edinburgh-style 'points come before wins' stuff that caused some controversy at the first CoEdi back in 2012! I'm hoping to use ODO to officiate, although I expect I'll be keeping the ODE3 in reserve in case the wi-fi fails!

The proceedings will take place on the top floor of Marriott's Warehouse on the South Quay, which is a fabulous riverside setting (if the weather is
nice and you like that kind of thing) and if you like your history you might also be interested to know that the building dates back to the days
when Lynn was a very important port and one of the most influential in England. The building has stairs and a lift to the top floor and there's a
rather nice restaurant on the ground floor which I believe will be able to serve us food and drinks (and I'm talking both cappuccinos and nice beers
here) should we so desire. The venue is also a few minutes' walk from the town centre, which features all the usual emporia and there's reasonably priced (and even some free) all-day car parking nearby. Details of the venue can be found at http://www.marriottswarehouse.co.uk and http://www.marriottswarehousetrust.co.uk.

King's Lynn has a very good rail service to London (taking around 100 minutes) and a reasonable rail service to other parts of the country. (If you're thinking of coming by rail, but not via Cambridge or London, it might be worth investigating travelling to Peterborough and then bussing it to King's Lynn as the journey time may be shorter and may also cost you less if booking advance tickets - PM me if you need further details.) The road network does reach King's Lynn but the general rule is that you get within 50 miles of the town and then the dual carriageways tend to stop
(one exception being the A47, which does have some bits to enjoy).

There are various hotels locally, including the inevitable Travelodge and Premier Inn (although they're both out of town) and there are also plenty
of places to eat in the evening including two Wetherspoon's (one of which you can even stay in overnight, which might appeal to some). There are
also several B&B's and guest houses. I can also recommend the local area if you fancy staying for a day or two afterwards. The Norfolk coast is
outstanding (it says here), especially if you enjoy seeing wildlife or strolling along windswept beaches. It's also not far from Sandringham House,
if you fancy doing a bit of royal-watching (or at least buying a jar of Her Majesty's jam).

The entrance fee for the day will be £10 and you can pay me by PayPal in the usual way at mike@mjbrown.demon.co.uk. Those of you who would prefer to pay by cheque can do so by sending me a PM and I'll then let you know my snail-mail address.

A provisional timetable for the day is as follows:

10.30 Doors open
11.15 Welcome / Round 1 Draw announced.
11.30 Round 1
12.50 Lunch
13.50 Round 2
15.10 Break
15.25 Round 3
16.45 Break
17.05 Grand Final (15 rounds)
17.30 Prizegiving
18.00 End / down the pub!

I hope to see some of you there!

Mike.

I'm definitely interested. Have friends in the area I could visit too.

I'M IN!!! Will make up for having to miss Glasgow.

IN

Count me in for now

Could be one for me. I have a cousin in Norwich so I could combine this with a visit to him

Interested, but will know more at a later date

In

Add two more Styleses please.
Oh and note that the RedSpottedHanky website offers good train deals, and if you have Tesco Clubcard vouchers you can get an even bigger discount

Got very few definites for this so far, but quite a few maybes. If you're interested, please sign up soon!

Another plea - if you're coming and are able to bring sets of cards (letters and numbers) from the board game (don't need number generators) it would be much appreciated. Have some, but probably not enough.

I can bring a couple of packs along. Mike.

James Robinson wrote:I can bring a couple of packs along. Mike.

Thanks James, much appreciated.

In.

Have just paid so I'm a definite "in" now

In!

Great to have the three of you on board.

Mike Brown wrote:Great to have the three of you on board.

How many we up to now, Mike

James Robinson wrote:

Mike Brown wrote:Great to have the three of you on board.

How many we up to now, Mike

Think it's 9 and about 5 maybes!

May just be in for this, Mike. What's the deadline for payment?

Jonathan Wynn wrote:May just be in for this, Mike. What's the deadline for payment?

There isn't really a deadline as such, but the more I have an idea of numbers the better. Hope you can make it.

Venue checked out, playing materials (hopefully) sorted, conundrums ready, prizes bought, trophies on order, cakes being made... can I tempt anyone else to come along??

Yeah go on then, in . Will PayPal once transport sorted.

Mike Brown wrote:Venue checked out, playing materials (hopefully) sorted, conundrums ready, prizes bought, trophies on order, cakes being made... can I tempt anyone else to come along??

Surprisingly I'm not an MP so I have more free time than I thought, so I am considering this. But I'm working out the logistics. Is anyone staying on the Friday night? If so, where?

Gavin Chipper wrote:

Mike Brown wrote:Venue checked out, playing materials (hopefully) sorted, conundrums ready, prizes bought, trophies on order, cakes being made... can I tempt anyone else to come along??

Surprisingly I'm not an MP so I have more free time than I thought, so I am considering this. But I'm working out the logistics. Is anyone staying on the Friday night? If so, where?

I'm staying in the Premier Inn just outside the main town centre. Looks nice and affordable though.

James Robinson wrote:

Gavin Chipper wrote:

Mike Brown wrote:Venue checked out, playing materials (hopefully) sorted, conundrums ready, prizes bought, trophies on order, cakes being made... can I tempt anyone else to come along??

Surprisingly I'm not an MP so I have more free time than I thought, so I am considering this. But I'm working out the logistics. Is anyone staying on the Friday night? If so, where?

I'm staying in the Premier Inn just outside the main town centre. Looks nice and affordable though.

I've just paid my entrance fee and booked the Premier Inn. Hopefully I'll see you on Friday evening!

I'm in for this

A sneak preview of Saturday's prizes:

Looking great there, Mike. How many we got to now??

James Robinson wrote:Looking great there, Mike. How many we got to now??

Now 11 definites plus around 4 maybes.

Barring any last minute entrants, we are now at 13. I hope that isn't an omen.

I won't be coming now - decided it is too far for a day trip and I got my May fix of CO events in Glasgow.
(Actually I'm scared of coming second last again...)

Tony Atkins wrote:I won't be coming now - decided it is too far for a day trip and I got my May fix of CO events in Glasgow.
(Actually I'm scared of coming second last again...)

Sorry to hear that, Tony, maybe next year??

Happily now at 14!

Tony Atkins wrote:I won't be coming now - decided it is too far for a day trip and I got my May fix of CO events in Glasgow.
(Actually I'm scared of coming second last again...)

The standard method is to go to Co:KL.

Gavin Chipper wrote:

Tony Atkins wrote:I won't be coming now - decided it is too far for a day trip and I got my May fix of CO events in Glasgow.
(Actually I'm scared of coming second last again...)

The standard method is to go to Co:KL.

Especially if you want to be in with a chance of winning the Kl bookmark.

Thanks to Mike for a really enjoyable event, and well done to Graeme for a closely fought final.
Hope it's the first Co:KL of many!

Thanks again to everyone who came and helped to make it a success. Will certainly be looking to repeat the event next year as long as there's enough interest.

Mike Brown wrote:Thanks again to everyone who came and helped to make it a success. Will certainly be looking to repeat the event next year as long as there's enough interest.

And thanks for organising such a great event. I hope to be there next year!

Gavin Chipper wrote:

Mike Brown wrote:Thanks again to everyone who came and helped to make it a success. Will certainly be looking to repeat the event next year as long as there's enough interest.

And thanks for organising such a great event. I hope to be there next year!

Likewise, count me in for 2016!

Looks like I might have to do something next year, then...

Once again, thanks to Mike for organising this event. I'm pleased to have made the final of one of these events for the first time ever, and congratulations to Rob.

I'll just leave these here...
Round 1

Table 1
Jayne Wisniewski 36 - 62 James Robinson
Matt Bayfield 65 - 28 Jayne Wisniewski
James Robinson 65 - 55 Matt Bayfield

Table 2
Phyl Styles 65 - 51 Lauren Hamer
Toby Pereira 60 - 37 Phyl Styles
Lauren Hamer 50 - 60 Toby Pereira

Table 3
Graeme Cole 85 - 49 Jeff Clayton
Mike Brown 47 - 81 Graeme Cole
Jeff Clayton 49 - 43 Mike Brown

Table 4
Heather Styles 53 - 36 Alan Styles
Ben Wilson 62 - 50 Heather Styles
Alan Styles 17 - 70 Ben Wilson

Table 5
Jonathan Wynn 54 - 64* Rob Foster
Stewart Gordon 47 - 61 Jonathan Wynn
Rob Foster 64 - 37 Stewart Gordon


Round 2

Table 1
Graeme Cole 63 - 48 Ben Wilson
James Robinson 37 - 65 Graeme Cole
Ben Wilson 62 - 52 James Robinson

Table 2
Toby Pereira 45 - 60 Rob Foster
Matt Bayfield 57 - 48 Toby Pereira
Rob Foster 75 - 24 Matt Bayfield

Table 3
Jonathan Wynn 59 - 42 Heather Styles
Phyl Styles 42 - 62 Jonathan Wynn
Heather Styles 46 - 43 Phyl Styles

Table 4
Jeff Clayton 54 - 41 Lauren Hamer
Mike Brown 49 - 40 Jeff Clayton
Lauren Hamer 58 - 44 Mike Brown

Table 5
Stewart Gordon 59 - 36 Jayne Wisniewski
Alan Styles 54 - 67 Stewart Gordon
Jayne Wisniewski 68 - 32 Alan Styles


Round 3

Table 1
Graeme Cole 57 - 66 Rob Foster
Ben Wilson 43 - 70 Graeme Cole
Rob Foster 43 - 49 Ben Wilson

Table 2
Jonathan Wynn 53 - 67 James Robinson
Toby Pereira 38 - 74 Jonathan Wynn
James Robinson 62 - 51 Toby Pereira

Table 3
Stewart Gordon 30 - 60 Matt Bayfield
Jeff Clayton 58 - 53 Stewart Gordon
Matt Bayfield 62 - 72 Jeff Clayton

Table 4
Heather Styles 63 - 50 Lauren Hamer
Phyl Styles 46 - 49 Heather Styles
Lauren Hamer 61 - 45 Phyl Styles

Table 5
Mike Brown 47 - 48 Jayne Wisniewski
Alan Styles 17 - 65 Mike Brown
Jayne Wisniewski 44 - 43 Alan Styles


Final
Rob Foster 106 - 86 Graeme Cole

And yes, fixtures against players you'd already played were allowed. It turns out that if you have a relatively small number of players, by the time everyone's played four opponents you start having to decide between allowing rematches or allowing fixtures between players with two or more wins' difference between them.

What's wrong with the latter happening?

Thanks, Mike and Helen, for all your planning and organisation and to everyone who made it such a pleasant day. Several of us were able to combine it with a half-term break in a delightful area and the weather Co:Operated.

Gavin Chipper wrote:What's wrong with the latter happening?

To expand on this, I'm not sure I necessarily agree that putting players with people who have similar results to them is the best way anyway. And if it is, why in the first round, do CO events not generally have the top three seeds together, then the next three etc.? You normally get on each table one from the top third, one from the middle third and one from the bottom third. I think the "ideal" method would be to try and get everyone to play as an even a spread of players over the day. By putting top players together and bottom players together you end up forcing everyone towards the middle. And because the positions after a round or two aren't that reliable anyway, far better to put people against someone different than someone who happens to have won a similar number of games.

Graeme Cole wrote:

Code: Select all

                        P   W  Pts
  1 Graeme Cole         6   5  421
  2 Rob Foster          6   5  362
[b]  3 Jonathan Wynn       6   4  363[/b]
  4 James Robinson      6   4  345
  5 Ben Wilson          6   4  334
  6 Jeff Clayton        6   4  322
  7 Heather Styles      6   4  303
  8 Matt Bayfield       6   3  323
  9 Jayne Wisniewski    6   3  260
 10 Lauren Hamer        6   2  311
 11 Toby Pereira        6   2  302
 12 Mike Brown          6   2  295
 13 Stewart Gordon      6   2  293
 14 Phyl Styles         6   1  278
 15 Alan Styles         6   0  199

Round 3

Table 2
Jonathan Wynn 53 - 67 James Robinson
Toby Pereira 38 - 74 Jonathan Wynn
James Robinson 62 - 51 Toby Pereira

Just noticed that that score is wrong, Jonathan only scored 43 points against me, so it was actually much closer between me and Jonathan for 3rd place. Now I regret going 6 small against Gevin.....

James Robinson wrote:

Graeme Cole wrote:

Code: Select all

                        P   W  Pts
  1 Graeme Cole         6   5  421
  2 Rob Foster          6   5  362
[b]  3 Jonathan Wynn       6   4  363[/b]
  4 James Robinson      6   4  345
  5 Ben Wilson          6   4  334
  6 Jeff Clayton        6   4  322
  7 Heather Styles      6   4  303
  8 Matt Bayfield       6   3  323
  9 Jayne Wisniewski    6   3  260
 10 Lauren Hamer        6   2  311
 11 Toby Pereira        6   2  302
 12 Mike Brown          6   2  295
 13 Stewart Gordon      6   2  293
 14 Phyl Styles         6   1  278
 15 Alan Styles         6   0  199

Round 3

Table 2
Jonathan Wynn 53 - 67 James Robinson
Toby Pereira 38 - 74 Jonathan Wynn
James Robinson 62 - 51 Toby Pereira

Just noticed that that score is wrong, Jonathan only scored 43 points against me, so it was actually much closer between me and Jonathan for 3rd place. Now I regret going 6 small against Gevin.....

Is that because it was wrong on the scoresheet, or because I typed it in wrong?

(It's reasonably likely to be the latter. I have put scores the wrong way round before (despite it being my own software, and on one occasion the game in question being one I'd won) but in the past there have been enough eagle-eyed spectators in the room that it's been caught.)

Graeme Cole wrote:

James Robinson wrote:

Graeme Cole wrote:

Code: Select all

                        P   W  Pts
  1 Graeme Cole         6   5  421
  2 Rob Foster          6   5  362
[b]  3 Jonathan Wynn       6   4  363[/b]
  4 James Robinson      6   4  345
  5 Ben Wilson          6   4  334
  6 Jeff Clayton        6   4  322
  7 Heather Styles      6   4  303
  8 Matt Bayfield       6   3  323
  9 Jayne Wisniewski    6   3  260
 10 Lauren Hamer        6   2  311
 11 Toby Pereira        6   2  302
 12 Mike Brown          6   2  295
 13 Stewart Gordon      6   2  293
 14 Phyl Styles         6   1  278
 15 Alan Styles         6   0  199

Round 3

Table 2
Jonathan Wynn 53 - 67 James Robinson
Toby Pereira 38 - 74 Jonathan Wynn
James Robinson 62 - 51 Toby Pereira

Just noticed that that score is wrong, Jonathan only scored 43 points against me, so it was actually much closer between me and Jonathan for 3rd place. Now I regret going 6 small against Gevin.....

Is that because it was wrong on the scoresheet, or because I typed it in wrong?

(It's reasonably likely to be the latter. I have put scores the wrong way round before (despite it being my own software, and on one occasion the game in question being one I'd won) but in the past there have been enough eagle-eyed spectators in the room that it's been caught.)

Well, Gevin would've written it on the sheet, as he was hosting, but I've got no idea.... :p

James Robinson wrote: Graeme wrote: Is that because it was wrong on the scoresheet, or because I typed it in wrong?

(It's reasonably likely to be the latter. I have put scores the wrong way round before (despite it being my own software, and on one occasion the game in question being one I'd won) but in the past there have been enough eagle-eyed spectators in the room that it's been caught.)

Well, Gevin would've written it on the sheet, as he was hosting, but I've got no idea.... :p[/quote]

The truth is out: it appears that Gev awarded 10 points to both players in Round 9, so the final score should indeed be 43-67. Must have been the Norfolk air.

Mike Brown wrote:

James Robinson wrote:

Graeme Cole wrote:Is that because it was wrong on the scoresheet, or because I typed it in wrong?

(It's reasonably likely to be the latter. I have put scores the wrong way round before (despite it being my own software, and on one occasion the game in question being one I'd won) but in the past there have been enough eagle-eyed spectators in the room that it's been caught.)

Well, Gevin would've written it on the sheet, as he was hosting, but I've got no idea.... :p

The truth is out: it appears that Gev awarded 10 points to both players in Round 9, so the final score should indeed be 43-67. Must have been the Norfolk air.

I feel I've ruined James Robinson's life.