PURSUING their puzzle passion they embark on their annual pilgrimage.

Puzzlers from all corners of the county - and from as Scotland - flock to a Brighouse church to seek out the next jigsaw challenge.

Laid out on tables are pictures and scenes made up from pieces that have been put in place with pure determination and precision by the band of dedicated volunteers who make up the jigsaw puzzles for the annual charity Jigsaw Festival held on the August bank holiday weekend at St Martin's Church in Brighouse.

Table top versions are in abundance flanked by what has to be the piste de resistance - the 3D structures only the most adept puzzlers will contemplate taking on.

There are brain teasers - the sort of puzzles that, when complete, are totally different to the picture on the box.

There are puzzles that test your patience; the type you cannot leave until they are done to those that puzzlers take their time to finish.

Jigsaws are probably one of the traditional pastimes that are being preserved in an age where technology reigns.

Children are more likely to play on computers than put together pieces to create a scene. Puzzling demands time and dedication. It isn't a quick-fix solution and concentration is the key.

But mobile technology and all its gadgetry offering engaging apps to challenge and entertain the brain has clearly posed a competitive edge to the puzzler generation.

Yet, defiant, they puzzle on and long may they do so. How refreshing it is, tipping out those pieces and seeing a picture come to life.

And, when it's done, the satisfaction of seeing the fruits of those efforts - the hours - even days - or may be weeks - it has taken and there it is, completed for all to see.

Teacher, Kathy Sykes, has been puzzling since she was a child - and is now passing on her own passion by swapping jigsaws with her pals.

"I have always loved jigsaws ever since I was a child. It is one of those things if there is nothing on the TV, and dark nights, I get a jigsaw out," says Kathy.

From 100 piece cartoon jigsaws to a more challenging picture of crisps given to her by her husband Steve, which she says is the only one she has glued and framed because of the complexity of completion, Kathy loves puzzles. She completed more than 20 jigsaws for this year's festival.

Generally a puzzle will take her two days to complete. And, often, her husband and children will lend a hand filling in the gaps!

"I don't think there is ever one I haven't finished," she says.

Kathy's favourites are cartoons but working full-time, Kathy doesn't get much chance to puzzle. The school holidays give her the opportunity in between her other pastimes such as gardening.

And, according to Kathy, its beneficial to the brain. "It keeps you sharp," she says.

For Helen Stevenson, jigsaws are a welcome addiction. Such is Helen's love of puzzling, she travelled 300 miles from her Glasgow home to attend this year's festival.

The four jigsaws Helen purchased from the event will join the 372 puzzles she has already completed since starting her hobby eight years ago.

"I was off work, I was ill at the time and I was absolutely climbing the walls because I was used to working," says Helen.

Through the internet, Helen searched for pastimes and jigsaws proved an instant appeal. "I thought I'd not done one of those since I was a child."

Her first - Clementoni's Romantic Garden - triggered her passion for puzzling.

"I do a lot of beautiful cottages, animals and anything quirky and unusual," says Helen.

Once completed, Helen flat packs her jigsaws which are mounted and bubble wrapped to keep them in pristine condition. She also references each one.

"It is the most amazing hobby because it is good for brain stimulation and patience.

"Each hobby has to have a Eureka! moment and when you sit down with something that is 1,000 pieces you get so frustrated because the pictures can be so hard, and I have done fluted edges - you would not believe all the intricate patterns I have done as well - but it is character building. A lot of things in life you cannot just walk away from you have to say 'I will hang on in there and I will get through it.'

Such is her passion for puzzling, Helen is now a member of the BCD Benevolent Confraternity of Dissectologists.

‘Dissectologists’ originates from the original puzzles, referred to as ‘Dissected Maps,’ invented in England in the 1760s by John Spilsbury.

"Once you do a jigsaw and you put in another wee bit, before you know where you are you are on the last piece and there is nothing more euphoric than putting the last piece in - it's wonderful," says Helen.

She discovered the charity jigsaw festival in Brighouse through her membership of the UK Jigsaw Puzzle Club.

"They treated me as though I was a long lost friend," says Helen, of the welcome she received at the event.

Ironically, Alan Sparks, the event's organiser, isn't a puzzler. He doesn't have time as he spends the majority of the year organising the festival which, this year, attracted more than 600 visitors.

More than 1,200 puzzles, comprising over 850,000 individual pieces were donated and assembled by the dedicated volunteers, including some family groups, who have assembled more than 70 puzzles.

Puzzlers can view up to 200 made up jigsaws of various makes, types and sizes during the festival.

Interestingly, it all began in 2012 and, according to Alan, it serves three purposes: to engage members of the congregation in a winter activity - most jigsaw puzzles are made towards the end of October and the beginning of March - to engage people in a community activity and to raise funds for charities. In the five years the jigsaw festival has been running it has raised a staggering £40,000 for worthy causes.

Proceeds from the last three festivals have benefitted Together for Looked After Children in Calderdale, which provides book parcels for primary school children through its Letterbox scheme and Busy Box craft kits for pre-school children, and St Martin's Mission to children in the community including After-school clubs, a pre-school group, in school play sessions offering a creative and imaginative approach to Christian nurture, a weekday church for children and adults involving creativity, as well as several holiday clubs, film clubs and activity each year.

For more information about the St Martin's Church Jigsaw Festival visit stmartinsbrighouse.org.uk/jigsawfestival