Today I cracked Fiendish Soduko in under half-an-hour! This is a record for me -- I have been addicted to Soduko ever since its introduction onto the back page of the Times a year or so ago-- strange really, because I am not a numbers man, and certainly not a maths person -- though a friend did say, "Well, what is maths if not patterns of numbers? And what is Soduko if not patterns of numbers ?" The two are indeed related so maybe I might be able to understand maths better these days than when I was at school. I was in the top set, constantly struggling so as not to loose face with my peers, and eventually achieving a grade 6 GCE pass at the end-- so there is a real sense of progress here with me! Something strange actually happened today -- I used a bit of logic in doing the puzzle that I have not used before, - when I tried to remember what it was, to analyse what my mental process had been, I couldn't. All I know is that it was the key to solving the puzzle in record time. Will it happen again? Let's hope so! It was a remarkable experience, as though a little trap-door opened up into a hidden little attic room in my brain , and there were bright shafts of light shining through the dusty window!! And I feel sharper and brighter for it . It is so obviously true that the more you use your brain, especially as you get older, the more alive you feel - what a great thing!