As to your riposte, I think there’s some fairly good news: there are plenty of setters I know who’d have scant difficulty in entertaining and challenging a person such as yourself, and all without risking offence to those with a tricky prognosis.

>> So no: the matter in fact relates to Grauniad’s growing addiction to insensitivity towards and lack of due consideration for the feelings of her crosswording punters.

I half-assume this is in jest, but don’t read 15squared enough to know for sure. But, for the record, I really don’t want the Graun to be ‘sensitive to my feelings’. Yuk. The only demand I have is that it set entertaining and challenging puzzles.

Also had a giggle at ‘headteacher’ demanding the same standards of accuracy in a blog chat as in a published work.

Glad that`s solved then.

But it took us quite some time which didn’t add much to the joy.
I understand where RCWhiting comes from when he says “That was much better, a good challenge”, but I am surprised by Davy saying “I found today’s Bonxie much easier than yesterday’s Rufus which I only did about three quarters of”.
Although, maybe it is because Bonxie is mainly focused on construction (with the occasional fine surface) and Rufus’ clues are much more natural and a tribute to the (use of the) English language [said the b%&@# foreigner ].

Since doing crosswords I kept a database of crosswords that I found worthwhile saving. I have no folder with the name “Bonxie”.
He is a very clever setter and there are clues which I admire enormously for various reasons (like today’s 15ac,23ac, 24/25, 7d and the above mentioned 19d). Plus the Clue of the Day: 5d (COLONISE). My PinC was the first to find it and started shouting at me: ‘this one’s right up your street!’ – yes, it was!

But why don’t I have a folder with “Bonxie” on it?
Because for me his crosswords are usually too clinical.
Clever, challenging, ingenious at times, but a lack of Lightness & Wit that might perhaps have been a compensation for the Struggle, but instead often leads to a distorted equilibrium between Time and Pleasure. In a way I admire the craftsmanship, but in the end it just leaves me cold.
No blame on Bonxie (he surely wants to entertain us), but I am not on his wavelength.

Tonight, after I came home from work, I tackled Tees’ puzzle in the Indy. Making me realise that his style of cluing is much more my cup of tea. And putting back a smile on my face .

PS1:
My PinC went completely over the top when she saw MS for ‘miss’. I (and reading from the posts, others) agree with her. Maybe that’s typically Bonxie: wanting ‘miss’ in the surface being more important than making the odd linguistic mistake.
PS2:
Although we admired the conciseness of 9ac (ORNATE, very neat) we were not happy with ‘trains’ as the anagrind. It is the same as using ‘Doctors’ instead of ‘Doctor’ when coming before the fodder [several times criticised at this site]. Another case of wanting to enhance the surface at the expense of precision.

Of course, and per Davy, today’s DEMENTIA I thought exceeding good, a stroke of pure brilliance after Terry Pratchett’s inquisitive and moving piece on telly yester eve, which showed how and why victims of dementia in its various forms can be moved to terminate their lives, under their own direction, before dignity is gone. That programme, I rather think, showed just how funny getting old, or even just a little bit older, can really be.

Carrots @ 26. Great news. There’s nothing like being on a high for crossword-solving! Empiricism and serendipity are good, too. They certainly help when one is stuck.

RC Whiting @ 32. I agree, too. The trick is to enjoy our hobby and not take things too seriously: thereby running a risk of becoming a Mr Grouser.

Giovanna

Nothing really to add to what has already been said. I am in the “don’t mind the theme” camp.

I enjoyed this very much and was not put off by the theme of sign(s) of ageing although I am put off by my own aging. When was the ‘e’ introduced and why isn’t raging spelt rageing ?. Favourite clue today was SINFONIA which had an excellent surface. I was surprised that no-one picked up on DEMENTIA after the outcry about bipolar disorder. I can’t see any reason why one should be objected to and not the other. Personally, I would maintain that most words in the dictionary are valid in crosswords providing they are clued appropriately.

This may surprise some people but I found today’s Bonxie much easier than yesterday’s Rufus which I only did about three quarters of. My memory is quite poor these days and there is no way into Rufus’s cryptic and DD clues other than to think of the right word.