My Cruciverbalism

AKA doing crosswords, if you prefer. A big hobby of mine; the cryptics at least. My apprenticeship began with the Daily Mirror tea-break quickies in 1996, but within a few years I’d graduated to the Daily Express. By 2004 I was a doer (or attempter) of the Times crossword, never managing to finish it in the time it takes to soft-boil and egg. 18 minutes and 24 seconds is my record for that. In 2009 I moved to The Guardian where I’ve been since.

I have become part of the online cruciverbalist community, regularly entering the Crossword Centre Clue-Writing Competition, which I’ve won once, and in whose annual competition I have been placed as high as fifth.

I’m also an occasional contributor to Fifteen Squared, a website providing solutions and explanations to a number of publications’ puzzles. I’ve attended one of their Sloggers and Betters events to date, where I’ve met a number of the celebrities of the genre – who in all likelihood, no-one else has heard of.