The BCD

The new version of the Jigasaurus is now live, and has been redone to suit the latest web server software so it should be around for many years to come. David Shearer has been busy adding new jigsaw puzzles to the site while it was being redeveloped, so visit the site and have a look at his latest additions by clicking on the Recent Albums menu in the right hand sidebar:

The new site now shows brief details of each jigsaw album when you hover over the album thumbnails, providing a neater appearance. On the new site the Tags Albums and All Tags Page replace the Keyword Albums in the original jigasaurus. You can search for albums using the search box – put your search words in “” if you are looking for an exact match of the words in the order and case that you want.

Who knew that being sent to Coventry would be so much fun? We soon settled in to our new venue, and the theme of ‘Favourite Puzzles’ unsurprisingly brought out a dazzling display of vintage and modern puzzles from 17 club members. Everyone, meanwhile, was tackling puzzles, until every table in the large conference room was occupied. The 3,000 piece puzzle was completed, for the first time in several years. A vintage puzzle with 30 pieces needing repainting was restored to its former glory through a cooperative effort.

Heather of Puzzlewood gave an engaging talk about her more than 20 years of puzzle cutting experience. She recalled that once, while demonstrating puzzle cutting, a small boy had watched her unblinkingly until eventually she asked, “Are you waiting for me to cut myself?” “Yes,” he said. Meanwhile, another cutter Genest (Le Colimacon) offered identical copies of one of his puzzles for a speed puzzling competition.

There was the usual rush for the sales tables when they opened, by the usual suspects. On offer were giveaways and absolute bargains, as well as new hand-cut puzzles and vintage treasures.

Trish produced a birthday cake with candles to celebrate the birthday of Pete, our chair. Our AGM was despatched with our usual efficiency, and we welcomed Delia as a committee member.

Geert gave a provocative and well-researched speech, showing that while John Spilsbury was certainly an early seller of dissected maps, he was not their inventor or the first person to promote their use to teach geography to children. David introduced the new members’ section of the BCD website.

Hotel staff seemed bemused by the idea that club members needed to continue puzzling until midnight, but in other respects the new venue proved well adapted to our needs. Some of us are already looking forward to next year – the next 3,000 piece puzzle has already been purchased…

As we have come to expect, club members started puzzling on flickr, and posting photos, well before the weekend officially began. Perhaps the short daylight hours encouraged us to puzzle early, puzzle often?  Snow featured heavily, with puzzles of ice skaters, skiers, and mountain climbers.

On Zoom, 13 members from the UK, the USA, the Netherlands and Germany showed puzzles from their collections on the theme of ‘Winter/spring’. A highlight for those of us thoroughly fed up of winter was the stunning photos of spring flowers and blossom to counteract all that bone-chilling snow.

We had a second Zoom chat later in the weekend, just to catch up with each other. It is always good to get the chance to talk to to talk to members who can’t come to meetings, and to find out more about their puzzling interests. The weekend featured modern and vintage, cardboard, wooden and virtual, laser- and hand-cut puzzles – something for everyone! All puzzles can be found on flickr, and the Show and Tell puzzles are featured in the gallery on the BCD website.

Not long to the house party now, and another long weekend of puzzling in great company.

There was a nostalgic flavour to this issue of Jigsaw Pieces, from the front cover to Kerstin’s touching fairy tale at the end. There were reports on two meetings, in Glenfield and Market Harborough, and two Show and Tells, on the themes of Love and Friendship and Trains, Boats and Planes. Nicki gave details of two more vintage puzzle clubs, and Jan introduced us to a little-known twentieth century cutter, Miss Briscoe. Cliff made a heartfelt plea for enjoying the simple things of life, including ordinary rather than rare and special puzzles.

But there was plenty of up-to-the minute puzzling information as well, with Mike’s review of American laser puzzle company, Artifact, and an introduction to a brand new British company, Puzzly, by one of its owners. New members Laura and Rachael invited us to join their wooden puzzle group on Facebook; highlights include the travelling puzzles which are passed between members. Bronwen warned that time may be limited to get a puzzle by Cornish craftsman Mike Hayduk of Decorative Puzzles, and Emma chose a favourite puzzle from the BCD flickr group.  David introduced us to the new members’ section of this website, where every newsletter and magazine from 1985 onwards can be found and consulted.

And if that wasn’t enough, for those whose puzzling interests are wider than jigsaw puzzles, there was a prize crossword containing a mysterious hidden word…

Meeting friends to puzzle together and share information about puzzles is a key part of what the BCD is about. So it’s encouraging that attendance is gradually increasing again after the pandemic. It was good to welcome back one of our founder members from 1985, as well as some of our new members, one of whom is a puzzle cutter. The theme this time was Trains, Boats and Planes, which gave transport enthusiasts a chance to shine. Other members had searched out landscapes or seascapes where transport featured somewhere in the background…

It was a lively meeting, with a lot of co-operation around the puzzle tables. (This was less in evidence when the groaning sales tables opened for business.)

Star of the home-made cakes was Katie’s parsnip cake.

All downhill now to the house party – have you booked your place?

Two Show and Tells (Jigsaws which Tell a Story and Dance, Music and Performance) made for an especially colourful autumn issue. One mystery puzzle inspired some interesting puzzle research by Martin, Frances and Jackie. Members with an interest in vintage cardboard were catered for by Andrew’s overview of Falcon Puzzles. Meanwhile, Dorset company JHG has branched out into cutting wooden laser-cut puzzles as well as cardboard.

Lovers of hand-cut puzzles could enjoy articles on the Douglas Jigsaw Library from Nicki, tray puzzles for adults from Kerstin, and on French company Michele Wilson Puzzles, who offered a BCD discount and a competition.

There was just enough room to share the highlights of the US Puzzle Parley and the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships in Spain. And we were reminded to reserve our places for the highlight of the British puzzling year, the BCD house party, next February in Coventry.

Numbers at meetings are gradually going up again – it was a pleasure to welcome back old friends and to enjoy the company of several members who hadn’t attended one of our meetings before. Covid hasn’t gone away, of course; our Chair Pete, had gone down with it, so Emma stood in for him.

The theme was ‘Love and Friendship’, so as you would expect, there were jigsaws showing dalliance, love, longing, fun with friends, and the inevitable puzzle of Man’s Best Friend. But other puzzles on display included travel posters, a whisky decanter, Alice in Wonderland, and a puzzle with the title ‘Embarrassing Congratulations’, which raises all sorts of possibilities…

Here’s hoping that at our next meeting in November, there will be even more new and old friends to help eat all those home-made cakes!

As usual, participants were making up puzzles and discussing them on flickr from the beginning of the weekend, and somewhat before! The Show and Tell theme was very well chosen;  eight members presented some beautiful and varied puzzles on the theme of ‘Music, Dance and Performance’.

A small group met again for an hour online later in the weekend for an informal chat – it’s especially good to catch up with members who can’t get to meetings, and with international members. We were also updated on exciting changes to the Jigasaurus and BCD websites.

A small group of members met in the pretty village of Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire. There were puzzles galore – puzzles being made, puzzles for sale, puzzles for loan, and completed puzzles on display.

The theme of the Show and Tell was ‘Jigsaws which tell a story’ – either through accompanying  text or words on the puzzle itself, or through humour. Most brought along humorous genre puzzles  – my favourite was this romantic print with a very different message in the reflection of the moon on the water…

As usual, all Show and Tell puzzles can be found on flickr, and a selection of them will be described in the magazine.

In addition to welcoming back old friends to our meetings, great excitement was caused by the attendance for the first time of a member who is learning to cut puzzles. He had brought one of his puzzles to show us and seek feedback. The puzzle was snatched from his hand, and declared to be of excellent quality, with a variety of types of cut which made this small puzzle quite challenging.

We hope that more members may feel confident to join us for face-to-face meetings in the near future – there were far too many cakes for those present…