Puzzling Festive Period

​Whenever I visit my friend in Harrogate, I can never Pass up the opportunity when out shopping to visit two stores regardless of whether I have spare money to spend. Those two places are the antique store 27 West Park and The Games Crusade. The latter store comes into its own in the run up to Christmas. Every time I’ve visited the store, I’ve come away with a boardgame, the one player ‘Smart Games’ (there are a few by the way) or a Jigsaw.

​​For me Christmas is full of laughter (a rare commodity in some homes). A great meal laid on by my friends Mum and Dad, then subsequent days of grazing on the left overs and Trifle, Trifle, Banana Flan, Bakewell Tart and more Trifle (I love Trifle by the way 😊). Then when I get home to Cumbria, I have a Christmas Cake to break free of it’s Tin Foil wrapping - a present from her parents, because I am a rubbish cook.

​The laughter generally comes alongside all the board games we play throughout the week I stay. This year’s board games of choice to play were, Blockbusters, Ingenious - which once I understood the pointing system I loved and Exit The Game, Advent Calendar which the brains of the bunch opened two more doors whilst I sat a watched. Gifted was Exploding Kittens and no kittens were harmed during the playing of this game, although the cats didn’t seem to be around when we were play it 😊.

​Before we left Harrogate, I popped into Games Crusade and purchased Cobra Paw which was out on display. With a demonstration by the game’s assistant, it was quickly in hand and I was heading to sales desk. I also bought Parks, a board game I was told was popular in the USA amongst the board game community, this one I can play by myself on the days The Man doesn’t want to play. Later in the New Year I’ll give you a low down of how the games faired.

​The Games Crusade also have a wall of jigsaws which includes my favourite brand – Wentworth Wooden Puzzles. This time I bought a 40-piece puzzle, the picture was a block print from one of my favourite Japanese artists Hokusai – The Great Wave of Kanagawa.
​As soon as I got home, I started the Jigsaw puzzle on the carpet, a quick 20-minute puzzle (quicker if you are a seasoned pro).

​Jigsaw puzzles are great and I especially love the wooden Wentworth puzzles as they feature shapes of various things within the puzzle itself. I even had one of my own paintings turned into a Wentworth puzzle (for myself to gift as a present) years ago. I am hoping at some point they will let artists order in bulk (they did pre-2020), then I can sell my art work as a puzzle at all the craft fairs I go too.

​In the lead up to Christmas I bought two 250 pieced jigsaws from Wentworth and even found Van Goughs ‘Starry Night’ in a charity shop (alas minus 2 pieces, but still enjoyable). Over the coming weeks I’ll be puzzling, with The Man dipping his fingers in to ‘help’.

​​I hope you all had a great Christmas; did you play or receive any board games / jigsaw puzzles?Keep an eye out on social media for a link to my next blog or to say hello. Thanks for popping by.

Here's a quick link to Games Crusade and Wentworth Wooden Puzzles

BTW- This is not a paid production. I mention the shops and brands because I love them :-)