'It's one of life's minor pleasures, but recently I've been trespassed upon'

It’s one of life’s minor pleasures that you like to keep to yourself.

Every morning after toast and porridge (with water), for years, I’ve done the easy Times 2 crossword.

Well, not that easy, sometimes I get caught out by unusual questions about Italian architects or scientific topics.

But I usually get it done in about 10 minutes, then it’s back to the word lathe.

Cross-wording helps keep the brain sharpish, acting like a living thesaurus. From time to time, I ask Mrs R for the answers to clues about sport or celebrities because she follows that kind of stuff more than I do. Ask who’s married to who in showbiz and she’ll tell you.

And occasionally, she comes up with some inspired solutions right out of her usual field, like “integrated circuit” and “isobar”. Impressive.

She’s an avid watcher of the TV weather but the nearest she’s been to a computer is the desk in my office.

All fine and dandy. But lately, she’s taken to picking up the paper if I’m slow on the job, and have to take time off to
nip upstairs and check emails.

And she fills in the clues that I’ve so far failed to solve! Sorry, but this is trespass on personal territory. If a chap can’t leave his paper for a minute without it being snaffled, what’s the world coming to?

Especially if she solves the 11 down that’s been rattling round your fat little brain for half an hour. Not fair.

She’s even taken to starting the thing before I’ve had chance to have a first look. Grounds for, well, 14 across, starting div....

I shall either have to spirit the paper up to my office, or accept this incursion into my space. Marital harmony suggests the latter. Never a cross word…

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