BS: Wentworth jigsaws

Subject: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 07:19 AM

My father has taken to doing jigsaw puzzles and finds them theraputic. He has some handling diffucties and he usually gets the puzzles with extra large pieces, mostly 250 piece from Gibsons and House Of Puzzles.

I think these are nice jigsaws but for his birthday, I thought I'd try to get him something a bit more special and came accross the Wentworth wooden ones.

He opened his present today and it has some of the wierdest shaped pieces I've seen.

I'm a touch worried that he might find the 250 piece one I got a bit too much of a challenge but at the moment, he is just delighted with having a wooden puzzle and the quality of pieces.

Anyone here ever tried one?

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: GUEST,DaveRo
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 07:42 AM

Never heard of them, but having read this Indy piece from 1998 I shall look out for them.

"..pieces with straight lines and right-angle corners that look like outside edges, but are not, and real corners made up of two pieces that do not look like corners..." Did yours have those - or don't you know yet?

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 08:00 AM

I've seen some middle "whimsy peieces" but have not got as far as looking for edges and corners. I'm unlikely to do that for a while. If dad is struggling, I'm likely to try to lend my own (inexpert) helping hand and that could involve trying to sort out the edges but for the moment, it has to be his puzzle.

Thanks for the link to the article.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 08:43 AM

my former neighbour had a collection of them & lent me several & they were fun to do, but I don't remember pieces that could be edges, I just remember the wonderful shapes.

turning this into a music thread - 10 unique blues paintings converted to jigsaw puzzles

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: GUEST,Selby
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 09:04 AM

Brilliant puzzles he will enjoy them I am sure but there are no straight edges that make a frame you build outwards from a target
Keith

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 09:13 AM

Rustic/nostalgia puzzles seem to go down best here. The one I got him was called "Delivery at the Railway Inn".

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 09:28 AM

Delivery at The Railway Inn

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 03:58 PM

They are splendid puzzles, albeit somewhat expensive. The whimsies add to the pleasure.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 09 Mar 15 - 03:47 AM

They are expensive but beautifully made and you can get custom made ones for special occasions.

RtS

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 09 Mar 15 - 05:36 AM

I have found that jigsaws made of thick plywood can be difficult to put together even with able fingers, as the pieces don't slip in easily unless they are held level horizontally and not at an angle.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 09 Mar 15 - 06:34 AM

That sounds a bit of a worry, topsie. I had wondered about piece being too small when I ordered the puzzle but thought my father would be up for a sort of one off challenge. I hadn't considered the width of pieces might also be a problem. Anyway, I'll just have to see how it goes when he gets round to trying it and hope I've done the right thing.

He had a stroke maybe 15 years ago and one thing it affected was his coordination and handling and he can get frustrated. Jigsaws are pretty recent to him but he has found them rewarding.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 10 Mar 15 - 10:30 AM

He's started on the jigsaw and so far it's going OK. I've just been shown one particular edge piece. Part of this piece is agular (sort of like < but more acute) and I'd guess the acutal flat edge part on the end of that is only about 3-4mm.

It's going well so far. Slowly and a challenge but the impression I get is that it's different enough to make this harder work worthwhile.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 11 Mar 15 - 01:51 PM

Just in a case anone is interested. I've put a pic of a few of the pieces here. The left couple of pieces make up a corner. The rest are a few of the whimsey pieces.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 12 Mar 15 - 10:31 AM

And just to finish off. Jigsaw has been completed today.

The puzzle has been a success and I certainly would consider getting him another one for Christmas.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 19 Feb 19 - 12:37 PM

And as a further comment. We've only got a few but are still using these.

One and the only one we did this way used a picture I took of the local Thorpe Market Church. I was very pleased with what they produce with a sent in picture and really ought to try another using a local scene on day.

The reason for reviving this thread though is that dad has just finished one a granddaughter got him for Christmas. A 500 piece one that I thought looked difficult, the cats in the middle looked easy but I thought a lot of the contrast looked harder to get - although a very nice Christmas scene with cats on a wall looking up at santa passing on his sled.

It's taken him a long while to get this one cracked but it's been a puzzle he's enjoyed.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Senoufou
Date: 19 Feb 19 - 01:19 PM

I like House of Puzzles jigsaws Jon. They do 500 piece ones, which just fit nicely on our coffee table. They also do ones with slightly larger pieces.
I like their themes (country scenes), and have nearly all of them. Bawdeswell Garden Centre sell them, and it's quite near to our village, so I often get another one.

My neighbour Peggy is over eighty, and always has a jigsaw on the go in her dining room. We sometimes sit and do a few pieces while we drink tea and natter.

Husband had never seen a jigsaw until he came to the UK. He thinks it's completely mad to break it all up then put it all back together again!

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 19 Feb 19 - 01:35 PM

Both they and Gibsons make some pretty decent puzzles but I think Wentworth is a step up, Sen.

--
On more local things, it;s been a few years since I was last in the place but seem to remember, probably a 1000 piece one, in the Dun Cow in Salthouse where people could add the odd bit as they passed the table.

This is a version of the picture I sent to Wentworth a while back. I have a play with their "Puzzle of the day" most days.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Jos
Date: 19 Feb 19 - 01:42 PM

I do see your husband's point, but is it any more mad than the efforts many people make to get balls into a variety of holes and nets as a way of enjoying themselves?
What I think is truly mad is the people who are so pleased when they have completed a jigsaw that they frame it to hang on their wall.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 19 Feb 19 - 01:43 PM

(their as in a website unrelated to Wentworth)

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Senoufou
Date: 19 Feb 19 - 02:07 PM

Ah Jon, that site thejigsawpuzzles.com is one I'm on all the time! I must have done hundreds and hundreds of their online jigsaws!

I understand that your dad might want something a bit more challenging than House of Puzzles, and unusually-shaped pieces add to the interest.

My husband secretly thinks 'les toubabes' (white folk) are completely bonkers. But he realises that we're fortunate in our lives and have the time to mess about with stuff that a poor African can't do.

Our nearest libraries (Hellesdon and Taverham) both have jigsaws out on a table for passing folk to add a piece or two. There's something very calming about a jigsaw isn't there?

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 19 Feb 19 - 05:40 PM

Sen, if you need more on-line jigsaws - 2 new jigsaws a day & an extra on friday!

I'm also working thru recent puzzles working back from the last page & I'm back to page 447

me addicted? YES!!

I've bookmarked the new site.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Senoufou
Date: 19 Feb 19 - 06:18 PM

Ha! Thank you very much Sandra for the link.

I just did one of the puzzles, and nearly jumped out of my skin as a host of black silhouettes of people shot up from the bottom of the page applauding loudly as I popped in the final piece! Really good fun. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Stanron
Date: 19 Feb 19 - 06:28 PM

I'm another who has bookmarked these online jigsaw sites. Most enjoyable.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Noreen
Date: 19 Feb 19 - 06:32 PM

I enjoyed doing that jigsaw, thanks Jon!

Good to hear from you :)

I have a mini Wentworth wooden puzzle of puffins, just 40 pieces with whimsies, which I treated myself to when I went to the Farne Islands a few years ago. I love it.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 20 Feb 19 - 01:55 AM

I do love that applause, Eliza!

I have 3 Wentworth puzzles, two minis, one of Monet's waterlilies, can't remember the other & can't find either of them, but I did find the 250 piece puzzle of owls.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Senoufou
Date: 20 Feb 19 - 03:35 AM

A couple of years ago there was a 'tabletop sale' in a nearby village, so we paid for a table in their village hall and took along about twenty of my jigsaws which I didn't want to keep (among other stuff - I love a good fye-out!)

We were descended upon by dozens of folk all fighting over the jigsaws, it almost came to blows!
It was nice to see how people still like doing them.
We made quite a bit of money - I reckon I could have charged double the price.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 20 Feb 19 - 06:42 AM

We have 4 of the Wentworth Mini ones, all Christmas themed and they come out at that time of the year. I think they are good fun and a surprising challenge for so few pieces.

Subject: RE: BS: Wentworth jigsaws
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 22 Feb 19 - 05:22 AM

Couldn't resist adding in some gratuitous music to this thread:

Jigsaw Puzzle Blues

I understand Danny Kirwan (RIP) played ALL the guitar parts on this.