Former journalist James Lovatt and wife Christine, owners of Lovatts Publishing Group, are travelling the state on their Across and Down Under Puzzle Tour.

Sally Pemberton from the CWA said members and guests were excited to hear how completing puzzles could help fight off diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

“Doing puzzles helps to improve brain cells,” she said.

During the free two-hour presentation, the Lovatts gave away tips and secrets on how to solve cryptic crosswords, Sudoku and other puzzles.

Christine later joked that she would have to make the puzzles harder from now on.

With a staff of 60 in Australia and a second office in the UK, the Lovatts have established a good foothold in the puzzling world.

Their publishing empire grew out of Christine’s need to entertain her father as a young woman. Her first published puzzle appeared in 1978 soon after she met James.

James gives a difficulty rating to each word in the puzzle database, which is then used to rate the puzzles themselves.

“I like to make the puzzles a challenge but not to make people feel inadequate,” James said.

The Lovatts made two presentations in Bowral, one at the CWA Hall and another at Camerons Newsagency.