FOCAL’s resident doctor Tasneem “Mama Tas” Rana brings us the latest from this year’s outing to Blackpool

A weekend of stormy inclement weather was predicted for the highly anticipated Blackpool Co event last weekend. Hosted by Bradley Horrocks for the third time, it did not disappoint. Undeterred, twenty eight foolhardy Countdowners descended on the seaside spectacle that is Blackpool. A trip up the tower on the Friday evening was thwarted by high winds. However, it was lovely to return to the Fox Lodge Guest House hosted by the genial John and Sue.

Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny as Bradley, Stephen and I joined a throng of other runners at Stanley Park. A 5k run certainly helped loosen up the muscles and brain cells, ready for an afternoon of Countdown. Blackpool Church was the venue this time for the followers of anagrams and numbers. Round one was the warm up before lunch. I had the arduous task of playing Prune and Stephen Read. My questionable hosting skills did improve by Round 3 thankfully, just in time to keep my last table with Ashwin and Dave running smoothly. A close final was won by Jack Worsley on a crucial conundrum of BYEOLDMAN – unscrambled in a flash to reveal BALDMONEY. This was suitably fitting for an earlier photo I had taken of six follicly challenged specimens. Dylan Taylor was second while MSR came third. There were prizes for the most religious word, won by Stephen Read for tithed and George Armstrong claimed the hard luck prize.

A meal at Bella Italia followed the day’s proceedings. Pat’s 10p bingo beckoned a few of us, while Ashwin and others took part in the obligatory karaoke at Gaiety’s. Others ended up playing pool and darts at the Sports Bar. Sunday morning was spent dodging trams and playing amusement arcade games. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable weekend with excellent company and a brilliant host in Bradley. I would definitely recommend a trip to Blackpool for those who have never experienced it before! It’s something you will never forget! If you fancy joining us at an upcoming event, why not consider our next one in Dublin, or check out the rest on our Upcoming Events page.