June 2024 will see the city of dreaming spires welcome Countdown enthusiasts from far and wide, as part of a jam-packed FOCAL calendar. Join me, your friendly neighbourhood baldy, for some fun with letters, numbers and conundrums!
Date & Time
Saturday, June 15th, 2024
Doors open: 10:15am
First round draw: 10:50am
First round games start: 11am
The Venue
St Clements Centre
Map
The venue is wheelchair accessible. There will be a small kitchen available for making beverages, filling water bottles and the like. We will have the main hall for the event, and while some of the other smaller rooms at the Centre may also be booked on the day, this should not interfere with our event.
Logistics
Located just outside of the city centre, the venue is a short bus ride away from Oxford rail station and Gloucester Green bus station. If you'd prefer to drive, there are a number of parking spaces available at the Centre. Or if you'd prefer, you can park at Redbridge Park and Ride, and take a bus from there.
Accommodation
There are numerous hotels within easy reach of the venue and city centre.
The Premier Inn Oxford Cowley Hotel is a short walk and bus ride from the venue, while the Ramada Oxford M40 and the Travelodges at Peartree, Wheatley and Abingdon Road are relatively close, decent and shouldn't break the bank.
Format
Rather than come up with a zany new Oxford format, we'll go with the classic Lincoln-style. 3 to a table, with a random draw for the first round of games. We'll have three rounds (one before lunch, two after), with the latter two rounds drawn based on the league table.
However, to put my own little spin on it, we will then have two 9-round Bristol-style semi-finals (1st v 4th, 2nd v 3rd) played simultaneously to decide who will contest the 15-round final. At the same time, everyone else will get to play one last game, against the person next to them in the standings. So, 5th v 6th, and so on.
During the lunch break, there will be something quizzy going on for those interested!
Feeding & Watering
There are a number of shops and well-known fast food chains a 5-10 minute walk from the venue for folks to grab a bite at lunchtime. Snacks will also be provided during the day.
Evening food and entertainment are still TBD, but the area close to the venue has an abundance of restaurants and bars. I'm currently considering booking out some space at The Mad Hatter, as it does have a function room where we can karaoke the night away
Alternatively, we can all head to one of the local pubs to watch football (Spain v Croatia kicks off at 5, and is followed by Italy v Albania).
Making a weekend of it
For those who are planning to travel in on the Friday, and would like to meet up, we can head here for a bite to eat and a few drinks. There is also the option to find a pub somewhere showing the footy - Euro 2024 kicks off that Friday evening, with Germany playing Scotland.
Depending on the weather, possible options for the Sunday are:
- Punting on the Thames
- A walk and possible kickabout in one of the University parks
- A trip to the Castle area (there's a prison, and a hill to climb - more interesting than I'm making it sound)
- Junkyard golf
There are also some cool museums and other things if we're forced indoors.
What's Next?
Sound like your cup of tea? Splendid. Fire over £12 via one of the links below (or if you need an alternative way to pay, drop me a message) and I'll add you to the list.
Paypal
Monzo
One last thing...
June 15th, 2024 will be my 43rd birthday.
Since 43 is somewhat overly ambitious for entrants, and 4x3=12, let's say that the person who finishes 12th will have their entry fee refunded. There will also be cake.
I look forward to welcoming you to CO:OX in the new year!
***ENTRIES***
Confirmed
1. MSR (paid)
2. James Robinson (paid)
3. Fiona T (paid)
4. Mike Lee (paid)
5. Adam Dexter (paid)
6. Richard Priest (paid)
7. Phil Stanton (paid)
8. Mark Murray (paid)
9. David Hilton (paid)
10. Bradley Horrocks (paid)
11. Ben Leyburn (paid)
12. Harry Savage (paid)
13. Adam Beach (paid)
14. Ian Wray (paid)
15. Adam Latchford (paid)
16. Coral Heath (paid)
17. TCap (paid)
NOTE: All event organisers and attendees are bound by the FOCAL Code of Conduct
