Widdersbel

Regular blogger for the FT Sunday series' "News" and "World" puzzles. I've always been interested in all kinds of puzzles and from a very early age used to look over my dad's shoulder as he solved the Saturday Guardian Prize puzzle. The first puzzle I solved was a giant wall-hanging cryptic that Santa brought me when I was about 10 (sample clue - the only one I remember, to be honest: "Cheese that's made backwards (4)"). When I was old enough to accompany my dad to the pub on a Saturday afternoon, I would "help" him with the crossword over a pint - I still recall the day I first solved a clue before him - the wordplay was something to do with a prince and some stairs and the solution was HALF-LIGHT). But I didn't become a regular cryptic solver until the early 2000s, when the Guardian cryptic was a way to help pass the long daily train commute. In 2008, searching the internet for assistance with a tricky puzzle, I came across fifteensquared. Learnt a lot from the blogs over the following years and eventually became a competent solver. Decided in 2023 it was time to give something back and joined the blogging roster. Also in 2023, after many years of dabbling with writing clues, made my debut as a setter in the Indy under the alias Salty.