I started my career as a professional compiler
working for a media agency, which sold my puzzles on to various
local papers. This lasted several years before the agency's client
base dwindled to the point that the agency was no longer in a
position to commission any more puzzles from me. This was around the
time the
FT, and later the
Independent, took
me on, so in a sense this was a step forward
– writing puzzles for
broadsheet papers is far more satisfying and challenging than
producing puzzles which, by their nature, are restricted to the most
basic of cluemanship. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the agency
work, and I was grateful for a chance to get a foot in the door
– but the end of my tenure did come rather unexpectedly and I was
left with some fifty puzzles for which I have to date been
unable to find any use. (I have always made a point of keeping well
ahead of deadlines!)
These puzzles are far
too easy for me to use them for the broadsheets, and also
too basic for me to include them in the My Puzzles section
of this site. It does seem a shame that they should go
to waste, however, so I have decided to include them on this site
as a job lot for visitors to do what they wish with. The link
below leads to a downloadable zip file, from which you can extract the PDF files. The blank puzzle is on the first page of each file, so I suggest you only print Page 1 in order to save ink and paper.
As I've said, the puzzles
are very easy, and unlikely to inspire those who have come here
because they've done all the broadsheet puzzles and it's only 11 am, but
if you do want a collection of 50 professionally written
puzzles, for your own enjoyment use or for use in another publication
(see terms
here) then feel free
to download them.
