FIND OUT ALL ABOUT THE PUZZLING WORLD AND WHY WE LOVE THEM SO MUCH
If you love puzzling as much as we do you'll know there are so many benefits. Here we investigate, review and discuss topics we think you'll enjoy reading about.
Across the UK, one person develops dementia every three minutes. Dementia Action Week, which starts on May 21, will focus on taking actions which can improve the lives of people affected by dementia – and might even stop or slow down the onset of the condition.
Research has shown that keeping the mind active – whether through playing word games, using colouring books, discussing current affairs or sharing memories with relatives and friends – can help to delay or even prevent dementia.
When initially investigating our January blog about how to survive the long cold winter months, all we could think about were the negatives of winter, the cold long, dark winter. Then we spoke to some of our avid puzzlers and we realised we were asking the wrong question. It’s not about how to survive the winter, it’s about celebrating what winter can bring to you, your home and your friends and family.
The first jigsaw puzzle was created by a map engraver called John Spilsbury, in 1762. He mounted one of his master maps onto wood and then cut around the countries. He gave it to children in the local school to help them with their geography education. And in that act jigsaw puzzles were invented. It was an instant hit and the concept was soon copied by others and expanded into other educational images other than just maps, such as farms and religious scenes. At this time all jigsaw puzzles were created from wood, but also at this time they weren’t called jigsaw puzzles, they were called dissected puzzles. The term jigsaw comes from the special saw called a jigsaw that was used to cut the puzzles, but not until the saw was invented in the 1880’s.
