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Hosted by Fiona Titcombe and Tony Atkins, Countdown in Reading is back for 2026! This event will be part of the FOCAL calendar. The event is being held as a fundraiser for Keep Mobile https://keep-mobile.org.uk/ and Understanding Demetia UK https://understandingdementia.co.uk/ - see details below.
When is it?
15 August 2025. Doors will open at 10:45, with the first round draw taking place shortly after. Please arrive before 11:00. We anticipate finishing around 6pm.
Where is it?
Christ Church Woodley
Crockhamwell Road, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire,
RG5 3LA
Woodley is a short journey from Reading town centre. If you are driving to the venue, it is very easy to access from the M4, and there is plenty of free parking at the venue.
If you are travelling by public transport, there are regular bus and train services from central Reading. Catch the 13 or 14 orange bus from Blagrave street which takes around 25 minutes and drops you 150 yards from the venue, or catch the train from Reading to Earley which takes just 5 minutes and walk about a mile to the venue.
The venue is fully wheelchair accessible
What will I be doing?
Keeping with the traditional format of Reading events, you will be playing 15 round games in 'Bristol' style, where everyone plays the same selections in pairs, with each pair choosing their preferred numbers round format.
Game presentation will be using RoboRiley - selections will be projected on a big screen.
We will play five games, then the top two players will face each other in a grand final.
The first round will be drawn randomly, but don't worry if you have a bumpy start - for the remaining games you will be playing opponents that have scored similarly to you, so everyone should get some good, well matched games. The primary aim is to have fun!
The five heat games will be standard 15 rounders as played on TV, the Grand Final will follow the standard format for 14 rounds, but the conundrum will be replaced with a supernundrum - an extra challenge for our top players!
What about lunch?
You can bring a packed lunch, or there are plenty of local shops. Tea and coffee will be available at the venue - if you do have a travel mug, bring it along.
And after?
We'll head to https://www.chefandbrewer.com/pubs/berkshire/george for some well earned refreshments!
I'm in - what do I do?
The entry fee is £12. Paypal is preferred. https://www.paypal.me/FionaTitcombe/12GBP. If you can't pay via paypal, then please contact me to make alternative arrangements. Please ensure you select the family and friends option.
We are very grateful to the church for hosting our event to raise funds for the charities the church is supporting - Keep Mobile https://keep-mobile.org.uk/ and Understanding Demetia UK https://understandingdementia.co.uk/. £9 of your entry fee, and any event profit will be split between the charities.
Please note your name will be added to the attendees list on C4c and announced below. If you would prefer for this not to happen, please let us know when you sign up.
Any questions, please contact me or Tony and we'll do our best to help.
Look forward to seeing you there!
Parkrun!
For those who like to start their weekend with a 5K, the venue is about half a mile from Woodford Park, the home of Woodley parkrun, so plenty of time to enjoy your run and post run breakfast before the event starts!
We want everyone to enjoy the event and have a good time. All attendees or organisers of FOCAL events are bound by the FOCAL Code of Conduct regarding respect for boundaries, respect for opponents and fair play. Any breaches of the Code of Conduct can be discussed in confidence with Fiona, Tony or any member of the Focal committee. https://focalcountdown.com/code-of-conduct/
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Event Venue
Christ Church Woodley, 77 Arundel Road, Reading, RG5 4JR, United Kingdom
Tickets
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