I subscribed to the Times online a few years ago solely to try the cryptic crossword. At something like £1 a week it was far cheaper than buying the paper. In the end I discontinued it as I didn't do it enough to justify £52 a year. I wasn't all that good at it.

I prefer Sudoku and Killer Sudoku best of all. There are plenty of computer programs for Sudoku but not that many for Killer. In fact my only gripe at Linux software is that there are no decent Sudoku or Killer Sudoku programs at all. There is a KSudoku suite that contains those two but they are properly messed up.

Most of my Sudoku puzzles came from newspapers and I got white paper and black ink. I like white paper and black ink. Can I get white paper and black ink in Ksudoku? No chance. The programmers have become so seduced by visually exciting graphics and flashing lights that they have omitted the 3x3 grid altogether in Killer. It makes the game just about unplayable. Just as bad, possibly worse, is the fact that they insist on given numbers looking different to entered numbers with no option to to make them all look the same.

Sudoku is a visual puzzle. The numbers could be replaced by any nine other patterns. Only in Killer Sudoku is the actual number value an issue. Having a given 3 look different from an entered 3 in a game of visual pattern placing is daft. Rant over. I just buy Sudoku books from Tescos now.