bridgesong

Born in 1947, I remember as a child tackling the Skeleton in my father’s Sunday Express before moving on to The Times at school with a classmate. For 20 years or so after leaving school I had no time for crosswords but started again in the 1980s, teaching myself to do Azed (with help from Don Manley’s Crossword Manual). Now retired after a career as a lawyer which culminated in appointment as a District Judge, I do the Guardian every Saturday, usually with my friend and neighbour Timon (who introduced me to fifteensquared). I also enter the Azed monthly competitions but have never done better than the very occasional VHC. More recently I have become a subscriber to the Magpie magazine and submit entries monthly, without yet winning a pen. My pseudonym comes from two of my other leisure interests, bridge and singing.

Guardian Prize No 25,490 by Shed

Sat December 3, 2011 at 12:05 am by bridgesong

Shed doesn’t get many outings in the Saturday slot, and I can’t remember blogging one of his puzzles before. I thought this was something of a curate’s egg of a puzzle, with a mixture of … Read more >>

Azed No 2057

Sun November 6, 2011 at 9:39 amSun November 6, 2011 at 12:11 am by bridgesong

A very enjoyable puzzle this week, which I polished off on Sunday afternoon. There are two splendid & lit clues, as well as two hidden answers, both for rather longer words than usual. … Read more >>

Guardian Prize No 25,466 by Araucaria

Sat November 5, 2011 at 12:05 am by bridgesong

A largely delightful and allusive puzzle, with several laugh-out-loud moments, but also one or two quibbles. I’d particularly welcome suggestions for the word play at 11 across and 26 across. I found the … Read more >>

Prize Crossword No 25,442 by Araucaria

Sat October 8, 2011 at 7:01 amSat October 8, 2011 at 12:05 am by bridgesong

A very characteristic offering from Araucaria this week with one of his long poetic anagrams and some typical charades. It took me a little over an hour to complete without resort to a … Read more >>

Azed 2051

Sun September 25, 2011 at 12:05 am by bridgesong

An exceptionally tough Azed this week, with a very high proportion of unfamiliar and downright obscure words. A knowledge of French was required for a couple of clues as well. I confess to … Read more >>

Guardian Prize Puzzle No 25418, by Paul

Sat September 10, 2011 at 12:05 am by bridgesong

After last week’s stinker of a double puzzle from Araucaria, this was much easier, all the more so once the theme had been guessed (which didn’t take long). All the “John’s” references were … Read more >>

Azed 2045 Plain Competition puzzle

Sun August 14, 2011 at 8:10 amSun August 14, 2011 at 12:05 am by bridgesong

I found this a little harder than usual for an Azed, although on reflection it is just the unfamiliarity of many of the words that creates the difficulty. As always, there are no … Read more >>

Guardian Prize Puzzle No 25,394 by Paul

Sun August 14, 2011 at 7:48 amSat August 13, 2011 at 12:05 am by bridgesong

This was the hardest prize puzzle that I can remember for quite some time, made even harder by the schoolboy blunder at 20 down. I see that the web version now has a … Read more >>

Guardian Genius No 97 by Tramp

Mon August 1, 2011 at 12:05 am by bridgesong

It was my privilege to blog Tramp’s first published puzzle (I think) which appeared in this series six months ago (Genius 91). Since then he has published non-prize cryptics in the Guardian (and … Read more >>

Guardian Prize Puzzle No 25,376 by Araucaria

Sat July 23, 2011 at 12:05 am by bridgesong

With help from my friend Timon, this took us less than an hour to complete, although getting started took me longer than usual. No particular theme (as far as I can see) but the … Read more >>

Azed No 2039

Sun July 3, 2011 at 12:22 am by bridgesong

I found this a fairly tough challenge, with even more unfamiliar words than usual. I have on several occasions simply quoted the definition from Chambers without any additional comment. It was a … Read more >>

Guardian Prize Puzzle No 25,358 by Araucaria

Sat July 2, 2011 at 12:10 am by bridgesong

Another entertaining outing from the Master, although I do take exception to a couple of his definitions. I took this puzzle with me to the Sloggers and Betters meeting in Birmingham last Saturday, … Read more >>

Guardian Prize Puzzle No 25340 by Puck

Sat June 11, 2011 at 7:25 amSat June 11, 2011 at 12:09 am by bridgesong

Given the structure of the grid I was expecting to find a nina in the letters that form the circumference of the puzzle but it soon became apparent that the final destination referred … Read more >>

Azed 2033 “Give and take”

Sun May 22, 2011 at 12:05 am by bridgesong

I can’t remember Azed using this particular combination of devices before, although he may have done so under a different name. So far as the across clues are concerned, it is known as … Read more >>

Guardian Prize No 25322 by Araucaria

Sat May 21, 2011 at 7:42 amSat May 21, 2011 at 12:18 am by bridgesong

A delight as ever to tackle another offering from the Master, and this time there is only one clue which, to my mind, offends Ximenean principles (12 across). A couple of other clues … Read more >>