I started doing cryptic crosswords with my mother about 50 years ago. My dad used to get the Telegraph back then and it was a good one to learn on. He got more left wing as the political situation sharpened up in the late 60s, early 70s and started to get the Guardian and I'm still doing the cryptic every day and the Prize on Saturday although I've never sent it in - if you need a dictionary and thesaurus you can't do the crossword in the first place.

Araucaria was my all time favourite and I was genuinely upset when he announced in crossword form that he was dying. Paul is my current favourite but to I like most of the setters on the Guardian at the moment.

There is a blog here which gives you the reasoning for every Guardian puzzle answer and is really useful particularly when you are learning how they work.

I'm not particularly clever, I've just been doing it a long time and learnt how to think on this wavelength