Rev John Graham (Araucaria) 1921 2013

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

one of the truly great crossword setters, never have so many been confounded by one mind so often for so long

http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/2013/nov/26/araucaria-crossword-setter-john-graham-dies

[Stillhomewardbound]

I've never made it beyond the Guardian's Quick Crossword. I think cryptic requires a degree of schooling and I've never had anyone to take me through that process. One day, perhaps!

Anyway, here's a link to his appearance on Desert Island Discs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/castaway/3de332c9#b012f7f3

[Mary Chambers]

I'm extremely impressed to note that the BBC link to Desert Island Discs lists Bach, Beethoven and Haydn among the performers.

I've never had the patience to do difficult crosswords, but my father was a huge fan of Araucaria. Sometimes he would ring me just to tell me a clue that had struck him as particularly clever.

[Serial_Apologist]

A thread about crosswords - oh dear.

Hey You, Up There: how much longer do I have?

The day I take up crosswords will be the day I become my own father.

[Stillhomewardbound]

It's a very good listen (just finished). He's not really much of a music fan, so his choice is historical according to his life. However, he's a charmingly diffident character. Genuinely humble and totally wihtout any kind of pretention.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

i learned to do crosswords from the teach yourself book ... after years of frustration; ... and a whole new set of options for procrastination and idleness were opened up to me .... actually helpful to do them as we age, helps offset dementia &c ...

[amateur51]

I have a good many friends who are devotees of this man's fiendish puzzles and they admire him hugely. However I am completely hopeless at cryptic crosswords finding them at turn irritating and infuriating, which says more about me than it does about his puzzles.

However I was so impressed by the way in with John Graham coped with his final illness. He used it as the centrepiece for a crossword puzzle, gradually announcing his diagnosis as the solver progressed. He then went public, revealing that he'd thought about treatment but it would have made his last months very unpleasant because of the treament and so he had decided to live with his prostate cancer so that he could have as bearable a quality of life as possible, knowing full well that eventually it would kill him.

It takes a certain sort of courage and grace and finally peace to be able to do this and I admire him hugely for it.

[gradus]

I found his puzzles more approachable - not the same thing as do-able (?)- than some of the fiends the Guardian employed. Much indebted to him for helping me to while away so many hours of commuting purgatory.

[alycidon]

The day I take up crosswords will be the day I become my own father.

Well, I'm my own father already! The thing is, SA, I have this notion that, now I'm seventy, doing crosswords may keep me from going bananas too early. I might be wrong on this, but having to really think hard about the clues seems to exercise the mind wonderfully.

I can only manage The Times cryptic, and doubt very much if I could make any headway with the Guardian.

Still, not everyone's cup of tea, so I don't think any less of you for not participating.