Compilers

We are fortunate that our expert compilers, many of whom started their compiling careers with the Club, submit their puzzles free-of-charge. Aspiring compilers are welcome to submit their puzzles for publication and should contact puzzle_editor@crosswordclub.org.

We publish puzzles created by about 30 members who are regular compilers. Brief details are provided below

Ann Ass
(Jenny Wenham)

Aver
(James Leaver)

Barney Naga
(Bob Hagan and Jeremy Barnes)

Betelgeuse
(Gillian Champion)

Blue King
(Roy Low)

Bogeyman
(Ian Williams)

Buzzer
(Bhavan Kasivajjula)

Crowsman
(Len Colgan)

Eclogue
(Keith Williams and Eddie Looby)

Flowerman
(Ian Thompson)

Fortuna 48
(Nea Storey)

InGrid
(Jean Barbour)

Isla
(Rob Moline)

JAXA
(Jack Alexander)

KA
(Karl Audrins)

Kaeila
(Anne Simons)

Katydid
(Kathy Horadam)

Leprechaun
(Larry Kennedy)

My childhood was spent in the early post-war years on the outskirts of Birmingham in the industrial heart of England. It was a good time to be a kid, despite the rationing and despite (or because of) the lack of TV and other electronic gadgets. The only exception was a radio which was great for listening to favourites such as the Goon Show! Otherwise all the 'fun' requirements of a youngster were met by a bike, bat and ball plus lots of other kids in the street to play with. On leaving school, I spent 4 years as a clerk in the Ministry of Defence in London. To counteract the boredom of this job I joined the Territorial Army and learnt some very useful skills such as folding blankets, communicating with Morse code and jumping out of perfectly good aeroplanes! In 1965 I commenced employment in the previously unheard of occupation of 'Computer Programming'. Some believed that this was a gimmick which would not last but it kept me in a job for 39 years, until I retired. In 1974, I emigrated to Australia with my wife, Kath and 3 children and lived for 30 years on the south coast of New South Wales. During this time our family size increased from 3 children to 7. One of our offspring is well known to the Crossword Club members as the tricky but very likeable Manveru. Thanks, Mike, for introducing me to the Club. In 2004, facing retirement and the empty nest, we moved to the beautiful NW coast of Tasmania. Here we take part in voluntary work with various community groups (e.g. the local Lions Club) and enjoy the relaxed, friendly environment and relatively cooler climate of this state. Apart from the mind-bending challenges of crosswords, I also enjoy reading, listening to music and pottering about the garden. (I hesitate to use the word: gardening, but I try!). We also spend considerable time visiting and being visited by our children and grandchildren. I have chosen the name LEPRECHAUN because I can imagine mischievous little men setting fiendishly difficult puzzles! It is also an acknowledgement of my Irish ancestry.

Lexi Conner
(Ron Shapiro)