Azed – 2,500 and Counting

Congratulations to Azed on reaching puzzle number 2,500. Who would have thought, when the first Azed puzzle was published on 5th March 1972, that the series would still be going strong more than 48 years later? What an extraordinary achievement to have provided on a weekly basis scrupulously fair and highly entertaining crossword, including a number of specials, some of them of Azed’s own devising. And not for Azed is the recording and re-use of clues; whenever he clues a word that has appeared before, he consciously tries to find a new treatment for it.

There is little more to be said. Without the confidence gained from entering the clue writing competitions and reading the slips, I would never have started setting crosswords myself. But no-one should hold that against him. My thanks to Azed for all the entertainment which he has provided – long may he, and it, continue!