Date: Saturday 28th – Sunday 29th January 2023
Venue: The Ark, North Hykeham (Saturday event), and The Memorial Hall, North Hykeham (Sunday event)
Admission: £12 for the Saturday, £8 for the Sunday, or £16 for both combined.
Start time: Saturday: 11:45am, Sunday: 11am
Finish time: Saturday: 6pm, Sunday: 2:30pm
Hosted by: Ben Wilson
Games to be played: 6 plus Grand Final (Saturday), 4 plus Grand Final (Sunday)
Wheelchair accessible?: Yes
The 2023 FOCAL season will kick off as usual with our beloved Countdown in Lincoln event. Host Ben Wilson invites us to his hometown for the 18th(!) iteration of COLIN.
Once again, COLIN will be a double event, with the main event taking place on the Saturday, and a smaller ‘hangover’ event following on the Sunday. It is not obligatory to play in both events, although there is a slight discount to the entry fee if you do.
Accommodation
The hotel of choice for COLIN is, as always, the Lincoln Thorpe-on-the-Hill Travelodge. Prices are usually low, so book soon to reserve your place! Failing that there are other hotels and BnBs available in the North Hykeham area.
Getting to the venue
The venues are within a reasonable walking distance of both the Thorpe-on-the-Hill Travelodge, and Hykeham railway station. From Lincoln station it would be advisable to get either a taxi or a train to Hykeham.
If driving, then both venues and the Thorpe-on-the-Hill Travelodge have free guest parking.
How the tournament works
Lincoln, unsurprisingly, is a Lincoln-style event. Three rounds of games across the day, with three players to a table in each round. One person hosts/adjudicates while the other two play and pick their letters and numbers in turn.
So you play twice and host once in each round, which means you’ll play six games and host three altogether. (For more details, see ‘How do you play?’ here.)
A Grand Final between the top two players in the table will play out in front of its audience sometime after 5pm, followed by prize giving and closedown by 6pm.
Refreshments and lunch
For lunch, the Saturday venue is very close to a Fish and Chip shop, a Cooplands bakery, and a Co-op, and the Sunday venue is within walking distance of a Spar and a Subway.
Payment
£12 for the Saturday, £8 for the Sunday, or £16 for both combined. Pay through PayPal to hulla.mahulla@btopenworld.com (please select the “family/friends” option). To arrange an alternate payment method if you cannot use PayPal, please contact us at focalcountdown@gmail.com
Pre- and post-event socialising
The traditional pub of choice for COLIN-goers has been The Fox and Hounds. It has become tradition for Countdowners to play a darts tournament there, as well as have a go on the pool table. The pub might not be serving food this year however, so if that is the case then we may find somewhere else to go for a meal.
Why come?
As the longest-running event, COLIN has become something of an annual pilgrimage for many in our community. Among the most stalwart members in attendance every year, there’s an ever-growing fresh crop of new players, with something here for diehard Countdowners and casual social players alike. Come along, make a weekend of it: you won’t regret it.
Attending or organising a FOCAL event is subject to the FOCAL Code of Conduct.
Last updated 21/01/2023
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