Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

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L'oisleatch McGraw
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Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by L'oisleatch McGraw »

***NB. Due to the times we live in, this will be a socially distanced event, with hand sanitiser readily available through the day.***

Yes, it's back for 2020, just about. We'll be running the 4th annual edition of Co:Wat in mid August this year, just after Ireland enters the final stage of the coming-out-of-lockdown roadmap. Perhaps international travel will be allowed at tat point without a 14 day quarantine attached? We live in hope.


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NOVEL CORONAVIRUS.
We were unsure if this event could go ahead at all this year, as we're in the grip of a worldwide pandemic... and indeed if there is a 2nd wave or a worsening, it will have to be cancelled. However, as our event is scheduled just after phase 5 on the roadmap for coming out of lockdown... it seems feasible to be cautiously optimistic. Even so, there will be certain safety measures in place at Co:Wat?! 2020. We are capping the number at 24. the venue could accommodate around 26 players using the correct (2m) social distancing, but we're going to go with a max of 24 people just to be extra safe, and it is a good number to work with as it gives us 3 quarter final groups. There will also be numerous readily accessible hand-washing points.


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WHO CAN COME?
Anyone at all! Having an interest in anagramming, word games, or puzzles would certainly make it more fun for you, but that is not a requirement. The event caters for all abilities. Some players will be very skilled, but many will be beginners. There will be prizes on offer at each ability level... so whether you are expert, intermediate or novice, there is a chance of coming away with a prize.


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WHERE IS IT?
The event will be held in the Carbally Community Centre in Ballymacaw, Dunmore East, Co. Waterford, Ireland. (At the heart of the sunny South East. :)) The Community Centre is located a 5 minute walk from a beach and around a 7 minute walk from the two local pubs, Dowers and Whites. The venue is very spacious, and contains kitchen facilities.


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HOW WILL IT WORK?
It kicks off at 10:30am, and will be conducted using the Bristol-style classroom format. Everyone gets to see the same sets of letters and numbers, and to play them at the same time. Each person will have a direct opponent assigned. These match-ups will be drawn at random just before the start of each game. Everyone is guaranteed at least 6 games during the day. The results of the early matches will determine the composition of the different quarter final groupings. The top 8 (sorted by number of wins, then number of points) will contest the quarter final group from which the event winner will come. The final game to determine the event winner will be the only game that won’t be done in the classroom-style setting. It will be a stand-alone match, and everyone will be welcome to stick around and spectate if they so wish.
.
After dinner, we might* stroll down to Whites for a few games of pool, followed by an evening of music. Can’t bate the oul singsong! :)


*This depends on coronavirus best practise at the time. If the pub is not an option then we shall think of a socially distanced alternative for the afters.



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COSTS INVOLVED.
Once again the aim is to make this as cheap as possible while still covering costs. This year there are two price plans:-
.
~PLAN #1 [FULL PACKAGE]:- €50 …includes the event, access to a camp site, and up to 4 meals during your stay.
.
~PLAN #2 [EVENT ONLY]:- €15 …includes the event and a gourmet lunch (no... really, ask anyone who's been before, Finola has a talent when it comes to all things culinary!).
.
I would expect that many of those travelling to Waterford for this would need accommodation. Most years we can provide decent dormitory accommodation very cheaply, but this year is different and our options are limited. We can only offer a camp-site. We will provide 3 large tents, each of which can accommodate 6 people, but we will only allow 4 people per tent... so that is 12 spaces. You will need to bring your own sleeping bag, air bed, pillow etc. (If you are concerned about social distancing, it is advisable to bring your own tent just to be sure. There is plenty of space in the campsite. For your €50 you are getting 2 nights access to a camp site specially kitted out for Co:Wat guests (with toilet / basic kitchen facilities), the event, breakfast, lunch and dinner on the Saturday, and also breakfast on Sunday.


€15 is the price available for Waterford natives, or anyone else who has their own accommodation sorted. The price includes the event, and lunch on Saturday.


Other items that are provided throughout, free of charge, include:- 1. Pens and paper to use; 2. Coffees, teas, and some soft drinks; 3. Snacks.


(We are hoping all of this will be doable without operating at a loss financially. If we get 20 players or more, it is possible.)


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BOOKING DETAILS.
We can only guarantee a place in our tents to the first 12 people who apply, and need a place to sleep, thereafter, you'd need to bring and pitch your own tent, or sort out your own accommodation in a local hotel or B&B.

As mentioned novel coronavirus dictates that our venue cannot cater for more than 24 players. (I will keep the facebook event page updated with what the numbers currently stand at...)


To book your place at Co:Wat?! send the payment to Eoin Jackson via paypal at the address ayum@live.ie. (please remember to select 'payment to friends & family') Alternatively make out a cheque to Eoin Jackson and send it on to 33 Shanakiel, Coxtown, Dunmore East, Co. Waterford. Or you can pay on the day. (Payments on the day cannot be done by card.)


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FLIGHTS, TRAVEL, etc.
If you are coming from overseas, the best options are to fly into Cork or Dublin. Both of these are approx a 90min drive from Waterford. Bus and train would be available to the city, and we can arrange a lift to the venue from there (for free, obviously). For anyone who would rather take the Ferry. There are regular sailings into Rosslare harbour from Pembroke and Fishguard in Wales. (Rosslare is a 60min drive from Dunmore East.)
For anyone travelling within Ireland, if you can make it to Waterford, we can provide a lift to the venue for you. If you are using Sat Nav, “Carbally Community Centre, Ballymacaw” should work fine.


[More details to go here as they come available.]


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I think that’s everything for now! If you have any queries, leave a comment here, or contact me (Eoin Jackson) via a facebook private message or Aptomail.
So if you fancy a few games of Countdown potentially followed by a swim on the beach, come to Waterford in the sunny South East of Ireland this August! Hope to see you there. :)
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L'oisleatch McGraw
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Re: Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by L'oisleatch McGraw »

Hey... just an update on this:-

In the interests of safety and for the peace of mind of the attendees, we have had to impose a new restriction.
We can accept no entrants from overseas (i.e. Britain) unless they have undergone the 14 day quarantine period prior to the event. I understand that this will rule out almost anyone who might have considered travelling over, but unfortunately given the pandemic, it is how it has to be.

The previous editions of Co:Wat have always had at least one UK-based attendee, so this is disappointing, especially as 2020 was set to have had a record high number of UK attendees... until coronavirus showed up and knocked that on the head.

I would like to conclude by encouraging as many of the Irish Countdowners and Apterites as possible to sign up. Co-events take a lot of time and money to run. The decision to host one is not taken lightly... and Ireland only have two (Co:Wat and Co:Dub), and personally, I think it would be very healthy for the scene here if these are well supported, and hopefully in time, other Irish events get added to the calendar. They are always great events...especially for those of us who enjoy words games.

If you have any queries about the event, get in touch with me by Aptomail, or via facebook.

[Comment edited on 21-07-20, in the light of Gevin's reply below... as the original wording suggested a blanket ban on any GB based players, but technically this is not the case.]
Last edited by L'oisleatch McGraw on Mon Jul 20, 2020 11:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by Gavin Chipper »

With the ban on people from Britain can this still be a FOCAL event? Is there still a FOCAL championship this year anyway?
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Re: Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by L'oisleatch McGraw »

Good question Gevin.
Anyone who wants to come from Britain would have to be quarantine for 14 days prior to the event... so from that point of view, technically, if someone was determined to travel for this, it would be possible to attend. So, yes based on that weird loophole, it is still a FOCAL event.

My understanding is that FOCAL will have a championship in 2021, and the 2020 event points will count towards that...
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Re: Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by Graeme Cole »

L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: Sun Jul 19, 2020 7:59 pm Good question Gevin.
Anyone who wants to come from Britain would have to be quarantine for 14 days prior to the event... so from that point of view, technically, if someone was determined to travel for this, it would be possible to attend. So, yes based on that weird loophole, it is still a FOCAL event.

My understanding is that FOCAL will have a championship in 2021, and the 2020 event points will count towards that...
Has this information come from Jeff? The FOCAL website still says that all tournaments are currently suspended.
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Re: Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by Gavin Chipper »

This thread should be the primary source for the results!
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Re: Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by L'oisleatch McGraw »

Yeah, I spent a full day writing a painfully detailed report onto 5 different facebook pages simultaneously... If I'm bored one day and arsed to put the effort in, I'll edit it for here. In the meantime if anyone else wants to copy paste one of the fb versions, be my guest.
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Re: Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by Mark Deeks »

My heart is beating in time with the pulsing need in my sex as I root through the box for the lacy bits I seek. Christian is always seductive, sensual but today he’s gone out of his way to tease and hike up my desire – I’m ravenously ready.

For a moment I wonder what to do about the panties, Christian’s avaricious fingers tore right through them under the dinner table, there’s no point in keeping them on. I make a mental note to always buy two pairs of panties with every set of lingerie I purchase as I hook my thumbs underneath and slip them off. I reach for the beautiful bra, giggling to myself – such a waste; I probably won’t keep it on for very long.

I fasten the garter around my hips and as I bend to slip the silk stocking over my toes I catch sight of the perfect red hand shape on my rump in the floor-to-ceiling mirrors of the closet doors in front of the bed. The image darts straight to my core and again I have to bite my lip to stop my impatient moan from escaping. A hot flush races over my skin, almost matching the hot pink of the handprint.

Just as my fumbling, hurried fingers clip the last slide in place and I run my hands from my ankle, along my leg to smooth the stocking I feel Christian’s presence behind me. From my vantage point I can only see his sexy naked feet peeking from beneath the black tuxedo slacks, I blush deeper thinking of the view he must have of me, pantyless and bent over like this.

The admiring sound he makes can only be described as a feral growl, “stay as you are,” his masculine, commanding rasp almost has me convulsing on the spot. His hands bracket my hips; firmly he pulls them further back as he grinds himself into my behind. “Fuck,” he hisses, “so beautiful, so hot.”

“Please Christian,” I raise my head, begging already. Looking at him in the mirror as he stands behind me I catch the hunger that flares in his eyes as well as the image of the two of us in this sexy pose and I nearly lose my breath.

Holy shit that’s hot!
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Re: Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by Mark Deeks »

No, wait, sorry, that's Fifty Shades of Grey, my bad.
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Callum Todd
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Re: Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by Callum Todd »

Graeme Cole wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 11:25 pm
L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: Sun Jul 19, 2020 7:59 pm Good question Gevin.
Anyone who wants to come from Britain would have to be quarantine for 14 days prior to the event... so from that point of view, technically, if someone was determined to travel for this, it would be possible to attend. So, yes based on that weird loophole, it is still a FOCAL event.

My understanding is that FOCAL will have a championship in 2021, and the 2020 event points will count towards that...
Has this information come from Jeff? The FOCAL website still says that all tournaments are currently suspended.
This just came up in a discussion on an apterous ticket. Was this a FOCAL event then? As far as official FOCAL communications go there is still no mention of it. If someone in the know (I presume that could only be Eoin, Jeff, or Chris) could let me know if the levy was sent and accepted then I'll update the FOCAL website accordingly. If it wasn't, you should probably let Rhys know so he can edit the wiki.
Last edited by Callum Todd on Thu Nov 26, 2020 3:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

The forum's resident JAILBAKER, who has SPONDERED several times...
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Re: Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by L'oisleatch McGraw »

So sorry... Much of this is my fault.
It was an official FOCAL event. The appropriate fee was paid on time etc etc.

In the FOCAL fb chat, I discussed with Jeff about updating the website and the twitter etc, as there was tumbleweed blowing through it, and no mention of Waterford at all.

We agreed that I would provide a write up ...which I have written (ages ago), but not yet formatted correctly and submitted to Jeff.
(The write-up was published right after the event in various facebook places.)
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Re: Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by Gavin Chipper »

L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2020 10:33 pm Yeah, I spent a full day writing a painfully detailed report onto 5 different facebook pages simultaneously... If I'm bored one day and arsed to put the effort in, I'll edit it for here. In the meantime if anyone else wants to copy paste one of the fb versions, be my guest.
L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 4:00 pm We agreed that I would provide a write up ...which I have written (ages ago), but not yet formatted correctly and submitted to Jeff.
What about the winner as a stopgap?
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Re: Co:Wat?! 2020 - Countdown in Waterford (15/08/2020)

Post by Callum Todd »

FOCAL 2020(/21?) standings update on the website page.
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