Taxi Driver Online

Manchester Evening News

October 11, 2006 Wednesday

HEADLINE: 1 across - He's top rank

BYLINE: mike keegan

ATAXI driver from Manchester has beaten doctors and professors to scoop a top-three finish in a national crossword competition.

Phil Jordan completed three puzzles in a cryptic crusade of just 32 minutes and 29 seconds to take third place in The Times National Crossword Championship.

He finished behind a mathematics tutor and the winner, a plant scientist, in Cheltenham on Sunday. Phil, from Baguley, Wythenshawe, said he was staggered by his achievement.

"I did the crossword on Saturday and couldn't finish it," he said. "I thought to myself 'you've got no chance tomorrow' but it seemed to come together on the day."

The 58-year-old puts his prowess down to reading the papers and never missing an episode of Countdown - a show in which he was once a finalist.

The former IT worker added that the threat of Alzheimer's disease was also a motivation to keep his brain active. "I'll do anything to keep my mind ticking over."

The M.E.N. can claim a helping hand in his success. Phil, who left Altrincham Grammar School aged 16, said: "My dad would bring the Manchester Evening News home from work every night and after supper we'd settle down and both get to grips with the crossword - that's where it all started," he said.

Now he says his taxi-driving colleagues are also starting to do crosswords, so he may have some new rivals.
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Trafford Cabbie surely

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I can't believe a Manchester cabbie has hours and hours of spare time.

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