PUZZLES

HARD!

SUDOKU PUZZLE SUDOKU PUZZLE

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 x 3 Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every box contains the digits 1 to 9 with no repeats. Good luck! 3 x 3 box contains the digits 1 to 9 with no repeats. Good

QUICK CROSSWORD

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Twenty Two Twenty Two... PHIL O’HARA

The New Year has created mixed views. A new beginning. More of the same pain. Different pain. Ultimate victory. All with seemingly random numbers.

Everyone will be welcoming the New Year 2222, meaning calendar makers and practitioners of numerology will do bumper business.

It will be really cool to write '2222' every time the date is required. I assume people will still be able to write two hundred years from now? Maybe dates won't be required when booking a flying taxi.

No, I mean, when booking a transport beam transfer between continents.

Double no. I meant to write, when booking a transport beam transfer between planets in our star system.

Triple no! Obviously I should have written, when booking a transport beam transfer between Earth and the planet Zog…

I freely accept that when it comes to making predictions regarding how society and technology will turn out two centuries from now, I am probably not up there with the likes of Nostradamus. However, I like to think my poetry is better than his efforts. Some of his quatrains didn't even rhyme. I obviously try harder.

But just think of the joy attached to writing '2222' every time you record the date. Instead of using a pen or keyboard (onscreen or physical), we will probably talk into whatever is asking. People will talk to doors, walls, plastic boxes, tables, chairs and all manner of things. Unfortunately they will tend towards not talking to fellow human beings at all.

How will it be uttered? Two, two, two, two? Or twenty-two, twenty-two? Try, Two thousand, two hundred and twenty-two. Whatever reason you might have had for needing to input the date may well have ceased to exist by the time you have managed to say it.

Without doubt it will save on resources. If the Earth and human society still exists, then it will be because people listened and the planet's resources have been carefully husbanded. The year 2222 is just the same number reused four times.

Think of the savings to be made through recycling digits instead of having to generate fresh numbers.

Numerologists will assign some momentousness to the number. They will probably produce scientific proof that it is a sign of the end of the world. The year 2012 wasn't as nice looking on paper as 2222, yet many people wrote books maintaining that the end of civilisation was to take place during 2012. As you are reading these words, I'm going to suppose that it never happened. Mind you, can you imagine the drive and excitement that will be generated by a sequence of twos?

I doubt anyone will be writing cheques by 2222, so no adding 20,000 years by accidentally writing five twos.

Thinking about it, I have this sneaking suspicion that calendars won't be that common by the time 2222 comes round. Does anyone under the age of forty own or use a printed calendar these days?

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©Lovatts Puzzles

ACROSS

1. Captured 5. Legal rules 7. Address crowd 8. Nucleus 9. Actor, ... Connery 10. Articles 11. Lyrical 13. At any time 14. Knot in hair 18. Recalibrates 21. Agricultural holding 22. Cooking oil source 24. Coastal sand strip 25. Narrate 26. Ring (of bells) 27. Fencing blades 28. Stomped (on) 29. Brings to bear

1. Aircraft flight deck 2. Country, ... Britain 3. Point of discussion 4. Food supplier 5. Diminishes 6. Feeblest 12. Sick 15. Non - professional 16. Wagered 17. Absconder 19. Ram’s mate 20. Resolves 22. Period 23. Crisp fruit

DOWN MakingMusic

Practical tips for aspiring musicians by Olney’s Dan Evans Managing nerves...

Many musicians suffer from nervous anxiety and, whilst a little excitement can be helpful, too many nerves can mar a performance. Expectation can be one of the main causes of nerves. By all means strive for excellence but don’t expect your performance to be perfect, as that is obviously unachievable. Also, audiences are generally not unduly worried about mistakes and may not even notice them, so just laugh them off and generally be kind to yourself. It helps to know your material well and work within your ability. The late, great guitarist Isaac Guillory taught me: ‘no‑one’s going to know that you’ve got limitations until you’ve exceeded them’. So play material which is for you simple. This will help to take the pressure off and you’ll probably relax a little and so play well. Remind yourself what you love about the music you are playing and focus on that. Live for the moment and try not to look back or think ahead. Immerse yourself in the feeling, the emotion, the meaning of the music. Remember, you are performing to entertain, not to impress, so make a gift of your music and it will be well received.