c4countdown

Hi all

It is with much excitement I can announce that Countdown in Nottingham 2009 will be taking place on Saturday 23rd May at the Westdale Lane Community Centre in the Mapperley area of Nottingham. Everybody will play 6 games of 15 round Countdown in the Bristol style, and before the tournament proper, the first ever live trial (and hopefully naming) of a brand new variant.

Entry fee will be £8 and for an extra £2 a lunch will be available at the event consisting of a well-filled sandwich, a scone and a piece of fruit. Drinks will be available throughout the day at no extra charge.

If you're interested, just drop me a pm or post in this thread stating your interest.

Hope to see you in May!

Itinerary:

Doors open: 10:00
Welcomes: 10:45
Exhbition game: 11:00
Games 1 & 2: 11:30
Lunch: 12:30
Games 3 & 4: 1:15
Break: 2:15
Games 5 & 6: 2:45
Prizegiving: 4:00

Current entrants:

Mike Brown
Rich Priest
Kai Laddiman
Dinos Sfyris
Junaid Mubeen
Dan Vanniasingham
Jon O'Neill
Kirk Bevins
Charlie Reams
Paul Howe
Howard Somerset
Adam Dexter
Jack Morgan
Barry Evans
Callum Laddiman
Lee Fisher
Stewart Gordon
Karen Pearson

If I've missed you off, just give me a nudge.

Count me in please.

Curse you Priest, beat me to it.

I'm (currently) going.

Ben Wilson wrote:15 round Countdown

Excellent

Ben Wilson wrote:the most anticipated new sport of the year, the CoNot ball game.

Excellent

Ben Wilson wrote:a well-filled sandwich

You know how to satisfy a man, Neb.

See you in May

Yes please

Is there a limit to the number of places? I don't think I'd be able to commit until quite near the time.

Michael Wallace wrote:Is there a limit to the number of places? I don't think I'd be able to commit until quite near the time.

Let me know when you can- the room's pretty big and I doubt it'd fill.

Count me in. I'm so excited about a 15 round tournament!! Yes yes yes!!

I'll be there, obviously.

Ben Wilson wrote:

Michael Wallace wrote:Is there a limit to the number of places? I don't think I'd be able to commit until quite near the time.

Let me know when you can- the room's pretty big and I doubt it'd fill.

Cool. My grandmother lives in Nottingham so it *should* be fairly easy for me to go. The only problem is that the other half has exams around then, and I think I have a report due in at some point near then too.

Excellent, I'm in. Hope its as good as last year.

Ben Wilson wrote: after round 2 there will a lengthy lunch break in which there will be opportunity to play the most anticipated new sport of the year, the CoNot ball game.

For the uninitiated, this involves nine separate people picking letters and trying to make a word from the resulting selection. The letter picker has a small yellow ball, which they throw to someone else once they've picked their letter. Unless you're Stewart Gordon, in which case you ping it straight into Joyce Cansfield's eighty year old face.

Sounds good, I'm free that weekend, hopefully all my exams will be finished by then too. Put me down as a very likely, barring unexpected exams or social events.

I'd like to go, I'd probably go just to harass everyone else and then get kicked out. Saying that, the 23rd of may is right in the middle of My As exams

I want to go but it's likely I'll have exams then. We'll see.

Jimmy Gough wrote:I want to go but it's likely I'll have exams then. We'll see.

I think that Saturday is the first day of a half term, so you shouldn't have any exams for about 8 days. Thats how it works out for me anyway.

In any event the Monday after CoNot is a bank holiday so I doubt anyone will have exams then.

Ben Wilson wrote:In any event the Monday after CoNot is a bank holiday so I doubt anyone will have exams then.

You'd think, but knowing the dreadful organistation skills of the exam boards i wouldnt be suprised.

If i can get myself soem transport i will try and go fo sho.

*Heads to google maps and national rail*

Bollocks. The other half just got his exam timetable - this is a no go for me now.

Yes please!

I dont suppose anyoen who likes giving lifts to strangers is driving through leicester on the way there and/or back?

Anyone driven there from Londonish area before?
Google maps directions reckons 2 hours for the journey, in which case it'd be doable in a day.
Is 2 hours realistic?

Lifts possible along route (M1 from Luton northwards).
I'll be skirting past Leicester, Jack, so presumably not too much of a detour to collect you.

Julie T wrote:Anyone driven there from Londonish area before?
Google maps directions reckons 2 hours for the journey, in which case it'd be doable in a day.
Is 2 hours realistic?

That's about right, it takes me slightly under 2 hours coming from Hemel Hempstead.

Julie T wrote:Anyone driven there from Londonish area before?
Google maps directions reckons 2 hours for the journey, in which case it'd be doable in a day.
Is 2 hours realistic?

Lifts possible along route (M1 from Luton northwards).
I'll be skirting past Leicester, Jack, so presumably not too much of a detour to collect you.

That sounds very kind offer Julie. I've not got too many personality disorders, so a car journey with me would be more than bearable.

Paul Howe wrote:

Julie T wrote:Anyone driven there from Londonish area before?
Google maps directions reckons 2 hours for the journey, in which case it'd be doable in a day.
Is 2 hours realistic?

That's about right, it takes me slightly under 2 hours coming from Hemel Hempstead.

Thanks, Paul.

JackHurst wrote:

Julie T wrote:Anyone driven there from Londonish area before?
Google maps directions reckons 2 hours for the journey, in which case it'd be doable in a day.
Is 2 hours realistic?

Lifts possible along route (M1 from Luton northwards).
I'll be skirting past Leicester, Jack, so presumably not too much of a detour to collect you.

That sounds very kind offer Julie. I've not got too many personality disorders, so a car journey with me would be more than bearable.

That's OK, Jack. And I'll leave my bloody axe at home this time.

I'm tempted.

How scary are you lot in person?

Clare Sudbery wrote:I'm tempted.

How scary are you lot in person?

Don't do it Clare, they're all extremely weird. Dribbling, twitching, sweating, full-fat Coke, spots, v-neck jumpers, halitosis, ungroomed and in some places, disfigured. And that's just Corby.

Unsure actually. I've been talking about going to see Christine in France at the "end of May", plus there's the UK Scrabble Championship (the one in French, with about 5 players) and the French WSC either side of that date.

Do come!

Clare Sudbery wrote:I'm tempted.

How scary are you lot in person?

Oooh, do come Clare! They appear almost human IRL.

I went to CoLin in January, and it was great fun.
Only 2 other women playing apart from me, so it'd be nice to increase the numbers this time.

Julie T wrote:Only 2 other women playing apart from me, so it'd be nice to increase the numbers this time.

As long as you don't expect me to represent womankind by actually winning a game or anything... although interestingly... the idea of competing in something I'm bound to do badly at is rather refreshing. Takes the pressure off.

If it were a Monday. Maybe.

Would love to come but it's too close to my exams, oh well there's always next year.

I'd like to come but can't commit yet. I'ts my brother's 50th birthday around then and we haven't agreed a date for a family get-together yet. Will confirm one way or another as soon as I know.

If i can get the weekend off work then I will be coming

D Eadie wrote:Don't do it Clare, they're all extremely weird. Dribbling, twitching, sweating, full-fat Coke, spots, v-neck jumpers, halitosis, ungroomed and in some places, disfigured. And that's just Corby.

Harsh, he is in his sixties now.

I must say I am mightily interested in this one. Closer to my area for a change What kinda times is it?

Adam Dexter wrote:I must say I am mightily interested in this one. Closer to my area for a change What kinda times is it?

Will be from around 10:45-4:30, not counting the piss-up afterwards.

OK Count me in. Train gets into Nottingham at 10:37... don't know how long it takes to get to the community centre from there? Might be a tad late looking at distance; hope that isn't a problem!

As stated in the top post the games will be underway at 11am so you'll likely just miss my waffle but not much else. The timetable's got some flexibility anyway.

Definitely would like to come Will be a welcome break from exams! Thanks!

I can't make it but I can arrange some reinforced steel chairs to be sent via FedEx in case of any Shallow Hal moments.

You've probably realised I won't be there. I'll probably start watching again at the QF stage, unfortunately watching Countdown every day gets a bit mind-numbing, so I need to take regular breaks from it.

Martin Gardner wrote:You've probably realised I won't be there.

Not me..

Count me in please Ben.

Ben, please could you remove my name from the CoNot event?
Sorry, and I'm sure it would be as great as the CoLin one you ran, but I've decided that I'm spending too much time on Countdown stuff, and I have other things I need to concentrate on at home.

Fairly good chance I can come, will confirm later in the week...

Clare, i'm one of the lowest ranked people on the attendee list, fully expecting a 6-pack of hammerings, so you're not the only one!

Rob

So...any plans for a post-CoNot social?

There are still plenty of places available in this if anyone's interested- although in true co- event fashion the advertised exhibition game has been replaced by a different one less than two weeks before the event itself. The as-yet unnamed variant trialled on msn will receive a much wider trial before round 1 (I've updated the timetable to reflect the changes). There will be prizes on offer for 1st-3rd place with an additional 'ratings prize' on offer for those who finish furthest ahead of their 'seeding'.

Simply let me know either in the thread or via a pm if you want in on what is guaranteed to be a fun day meeting fellow forumites/stars of the show! If you've entered (or even if you haven't) please let me know if you want the optional £2 lunch as well- it's getting to the point where we need exact numbers for that.

Hope to see you all on the 23rd!

Can I have the lunch please.

Lunch please.

Luncheon please Benjemin.

Lunch for me too please Mr Neb

If you're a filthy vegetarian, what could you expect in your well-filled (woof) sandwich?

(yes, I still haven't worked out if I'm going yet - is there a deadline for lunch/attendance confirmation?)

Michael Wallace wrote:If you're a filthy vegetarian, what could you expect in your well-filled (woof) sandwich?

(yes, I still haven't worked out if I'm going yet - is there a deadline for lunch/attendance confirmation?)

Ironically the deadline for lunch confirmation is before that of the attendance confirmation. (i.e. about a week from now as opposed to 'two days before')

All the cool cats seem to be having lunch; I will as well.

Lunch for me too please, Ben.

OK i'm a definite now, and i'll go for the lunch please. Ta. See you all there.

Rob Thomas wrote:OK i'm a definite now, and i'll go for the lunch please. Ta. See you all there.

See you there, bathrooms.

Jon O'Neill wrote:

Rob Thomas wrote:See you all there.

See you there, bathrooms.

Could be worse - his name could be T. S. Eliot.

Phil Reynolds wrote: Could be worse - his name could be T. S. Eliot.

LITOTES?