Jigsaw 12, Series 2

A first puzzle from Wilkinsons, an own brand 'Wilko' one at that, made in China from 75% recycled paper. When first opened, the impression given is of what Tesco calls 'every day value' (see March 13th), but on closer acquaintance a perfectly decent puzzle. But I don't think that the charity shop understood about Wilko prices and charged the same as it would for a regular puzzle.

The most regular puzzle which I have done for a while with four pieces meeting at every interior vertex and with every interior piece being of prong-hole-prong-hole configuration. Pieces were all very much of a size. But simplicity at these levels was compensated for by an interesting take on piece shape, both the shape of the piece overall and the shapes of the four corners, with lots of scimitar or oriental dagger shapes (see 5th April). One could sometimes pick the right piece out of the heap on the basis of corner shape. One even starts to develop a special vocabulary to describe shape, rather as one does with Lego if one does enough of it.

Started with the edge. Then the skyline, the pieces of which were harder than usual to pick out. Then built on the skyline a bit, doing the buildings and the ship. Then the dark cloud running right from the lighthouse, above the ship. Then the sky below the dark cloud. Very unusual to hit on the sky at this early stage.

But then at a bit of a loss. What to do next? Eventually settled on the lower rock-water boundary. Then the white water above, then most of the rock below.

Then at a bit of a loss again, eventually settling of the upper rock-water boundary. Then finished the sea and the sky.

Then finished the lower rocks and finished by finishing the upper rocks. More psycho puzzling in that I often picked out the right piece from the heap for the position under consideration, thought that it looked wrong, then found that it was right. More disconnect between conscious and unconscious processing.

All in all an unusual and unexpectedly satisfying puzzle. Perhaps I shall visit the horse's mouth, that is to say our very own branch of Wilkinsons, for another one.