CROCKENHILL WOMEN'S INSTITUTE

Members came along to our June meeting eager to discover what "The most popular indoor activity" was.

Tim Moorey, our speaker, started by giving a few clues, people talked about it more, Bill Clinton did it every day, people even did it on trains and the answer is - Crosswords!

After a career in accountancy followed by a post at the Civil Service College, Tim found himself among a number of crossword setters. Many years before as a schoolboy he had compiled a crossword that was published in the Evening News, he now sets around 175 a year, mainly the cryptic variety.

Our English language lends itself to crosswords as so many words have several meanings and new words are being added all the time.

Chambers dictionary is his reference as all the old words are left in together with the new ones. After ballroom dancing crosswords are good for exercising the brain, we had a few examples of cryptic clues to answer.

The first step in compiling a puzzle is to set the grid, then to set the level of difficulty of the likely reader. A few key words are chosen then the rest are done by the computer in seconds - nothing like the hard work of his schoolboy puzzle.

He told how keen readers will bombard him with emails when he makes an error, but from these contacts he has made friends.

Several members have just returned from a holiday at the craft and golf centre in Okehampton and there was an impressive display of their handiwork. The 90 mile challenge is going strong and has passed the halfway mark.

Volunteers were sought for the forthcoming Village Produce and Craft Show to be held on July 9.