2025 FOCAL calendar

[Adam Beach]

This is the calendar of the remaining events in the 2025 FOCAL season, which is complete as of Thursday, 3rd July 2025.

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We have a spreadsheet of the calendar, which can be accessed HERE. Please refer to the coloured boxes to the right for additional information.

This year's calendar is now full, but if you would be interested in organising an event for next year, please email George Armstrong — our Chair — at hello@focalcountdown.com, and we will see what we can do. Please bear in mind that most slots will already have an event pencilled in, therefore will very likely be going ahead. Priority is given to events that ran in the previous calendar should they wish to return.

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AUGUST

• Saturday, 30th: Reading | Co:Reading 2025

SEPTEMBER

• Saturday, 13th: Blackpool | Co:Blackpool 2025

OCTOBER

• Saturday, 4th: Dublin | Co:Dublin 2025

• Saturday, 18th: Edinburgh | Co:Edinburgh 2025

NOVEMBER

• Saturday, 1st: Worcester | Co:Worcester 2025

• Saturday, 29th: Milton Keynes | 2025 FOCAL Finals and MK Open

[JackHurst]

Question for the northern lot. Are there any times of the year where you feel like it's tough to get to any event because there are several in a row so very far away?

Last few years, for the southern lot I think it's this time of year that it happens. E.g next three Blackpool/Dublin/Glasgow. Getting to any of those is quite tough. It made me think, if there's a similar period somewhere else in the year that makes it hard for the northerners because too much is down south, you could make everybody happier by swapping two events round.

Appreciate some hosts like to keep to a specific weekend, and there are venue constraints etc so it may be a non-starter. Maybe an idea for 2026 instead of 2025

[Andres Sanchez]

Was planning to come to one but I don't think I can, def still going to London if ppl wanna hang

[George Armstrong]

E.g next three Blackpool/Dublin/Glasgow. Getting to any of those is quite tough.

Arguably it's easier to get to both Dublin and Glasgow from London and the surrounding areas than it is from the wilderness of the good ol' North. London has plenty of airports...

But on the whole I think this year's calendar has been rather good at having a mix of locations and not keeping the North/South ones too close together. In order we've had Lincoln, Liverpool, Rugby, Sligo, Reading, Sheffield, Oxford, Waterford, Durham, Brum, London, Blackpool, Dublin, Glasgow, Braintree, MK. In terms of distance between them, the closest ones that follow each other are probably B'pool and Dublin (in two different countries and separated by a sea which I presume you don't want to try to swim across) and Braintree and MK. So not bad.

[George Armstrong]

Question for the northern lot. Are there any times of the year where you feel like it's tough to get to any event because there are several in a row so very far away?

But to answer this point, yes. Luckily for myself, I finish work early enough in the day to travel on Fridays, but for anything south of the Midlands or overseas that still isn't plausible without either not working that day or getting a lift.

[Ian Volante]

Disappointed this isn't a tasteful nudes-style fundraiser.

[Fiona T]

Relief rather than disappointment

[Marc Meakin]

Still yet to dip my toe in.
I may aim for London
In an ideal world would love a weekend where I could play Scrabble on a Saturday and Countdown on a Sunday or vice versa.
There was a Scrabble tournament in Luton last sunday hopefully it will be around about the same time in 2025

[Phil Stanton]

Because of reasons, London in 2025 will be moving to April, specifically April 12.
My intention, assuming I keep running this event, will be to keep it around Easter time, during the school holidays.

[Ian Volante]

Relief rather than disappointment

A good point!

[Jeff Clayton Quiz]

Braintree won't be taking place in November 2025, and is very unlikely to take place at all in 2025.

I have earmarked a June slot and have tentatively enquired about a venue in Southampton. It would be a traditional Lincoln-style event.

Jeff

[Adam Beach]

Braintree won't be taking place in November 2025, and is very unlikely to take place at all in 2025.

I have earmarked a June slot and have tentatively enquired about a venue in Southampton. It would be a traditional Lincoln-style event.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. I'll add this into the calendar as a pencilled-in event, then we can chat about it at Milton Keynes.

[James Robinson]

Mainly cos of a lack of interest for Glasgow this year, I’m tentatively looking at venues just south of the border…

Potentially, Carlisle is being looked at as a possibility, possibly in July…

[Fiona T]

Shame that Glasgow isn't well attended - not too late, people!

[Matt Rutherford]

Mainly cos of a lack of interest for Glasgow this year, I’m tentatively looking at venues just south of the border…

Potentially, Carlisle is being looked at as a possibility, possibly in July…

Isn't Durham in for early July already?

[James Robinson]

Mainly cos of a lack of interest for Glasgow this year, I’m tentatively looking at venues just south of the border…

Potentially, Carlisle is being looked at as a possibility, possibly in July…

Isn't Durham in for early July already?

Don’t know, just throwing it out there…, if it is, then any alternative months would be most welcome.

[Phil Stanton]

Mainly cos of a lack of interest for Glasgow this year, I’m tentatively looking at venues just south of the border…

Potentially, Carlisle is being looked at as a possibility, possibly in July…

Have to say, I didn't see a lot of publicity/promotion for Glasgow, although there may of course have been plenty behind the scenes.
For London (possibly due to the enthusiasm of hosting my first event), I pushed it hard ... I did LinkedIn posts, hassled friends, messaged past event attendees directly. put it on my email sig, etc.

[Gavin Chipper]

London is a different kettle of fish to Glasgow though. Much easier to get people. Not that I'm dismissing the promotion effort of course.

[Marc Meakin]

I'm organising a Scrabble Tournament in Canterbury on 8th November and if it's successful I was thinking of a Countdown event but it's 18 quid per hour so I will need a reasonably large amount in order to book it.
It had to be a Saturday I was looking at March/ April


If I built it would you come?