S & B Nottingham – puzzle 1 by Alan

9 comments on “S & B Nottingham – puzzle 1 by Alan”

1. 

   Eileen

   #1 - Sun 14th May 17, 15:36

   
   

   Thanks again, Sil! [and especially for FLAK, which pipped me at the post].

   I was impressed by this puzzle from the very first clue: to get Paul, Xaos and Pasquale into one clue is some achievement!

   And the rest of the puzzle lived up to the early promise. I haven’t actually counted up but I’m pretty sure all the current Guardian setters are there, either in clues or answers, all ingeniously and entertainingly clued.

   It’s always a bit daunting to be presented with a puzzle by a new setter, either in the paper or at an S and B. Here we were offered two for the price of one – and one a jumbo, at that. It would have been easy to be discouraged, especially since we were given a sheaf of puzzles by our talented friends – and I haven’t even looked at yesterday’s Prize puzzles yet! I’m so pleased that I persevered with these two – not that they were in the least a slog.

   Many thanks, Alan. I look forward to more of your puzzles – and it was good to talk to yo yesterday, too.

2. 

   Alan B

   #2 - Mon 15th May 17, 20:31

   
   

   Thank you for your kind comments, Eileen.
   I too was glad we had the opportunity to meet and chat at the S&B event.

3. 

   Bertandjoyce

   #3 - Tue 16th May 17, 20:02

   
   

   Bert has only just got around to looking at this excellent puzzle from Alan (still haven’t looked at the other one!).
   Very impressed by the number of setters appearing in both clues and entries and by the quality of the clues.
   Many thanks to Alan for your brilliant contribution to the occasion on Saturday and to Sil for the blog.
   Now off to look at Exit’s puzzle and Alan’s other offering – that is between catching up on Sunday’s and yesterday’s puzzles!!

4. 

   ACD

   #4 - Tue 16th May 17, 22:34

   
   

   Thanks to Alan and Sil van den Hoek. I don’t know if this puzzle was too easy for the experts, but it was just right for me. I did not get FLAK and did not see “airer” for horse in AIRLINER (though the answer was clear) or the football connection for NUTMEG, but all fell into place – and I especially enjoyed SHOTPUT.

5. 

   Alan B

   #5 - Wed 17th May 17, 16:52

   
   

   Thanks to Bertandjoyce and ACD for their comments.

   To repond to a point made by ACD: I had a pretty good idea of how this crossword was pitched thanks to my test solvers. I would expect expert solvers to find it quite easy, but my intention was to provide something entertaining for this audience but still make them think a bit.

6. 

   allan_c

   #6 - Wed 17th May 17, 21:03

   
   

   “My intention was to provide something entertaining for this audience but still make them think a bit.” Well, for this solver it did exactly what it said on the tin, so to speak. I usually do Wednesday’s Indy in the waiting room while my grandchildren have their piano lessons, but having finished today’s offering by Dutch I found I had this puzzle with me; that took rather longer – most of this evening in fact. But a great puzzle. Favourite was PIZZICATO for the ingenious reference to 22dn in the clue.

   Thanks, Alan B and Sil.

7. 

   Tony

   #7 - Thu 18th May 17, 22:30

   
   

   Great stuff, Alan! Really enjoyed doing it, and pleased to have completed it, even though I didn’t quite get the wordplay in 13a, PRIVATEER (took “very” as V and wondered what “short” was doing and where ER came from. Der!) or 14a ICENI (had a brain fail on CEN = cold space!), so thanks to Sil, too, for pointing out what should have been obvious.

   Sone really clever cluing here.

   Thought you’d missed a trick with 12, BLIZZARDS, as I was almost sure Lizard was a Guardian setter, but maybe not.

   Amusing to hear details of the love story with I. going on in your head!

   Got Robin Goodfellow from the anagram — which struck a chord with something in the far reaches of my consciousness. I like a clue that gets me reading up about something interesting, thanks.

   Delighted to have the anag of Enigmatist revealed to me, too.

   “French art” in 47, RES was very tricksy and a loud and gratifying pdm, as was “He” in 20d, ELEMENT – a beaut.

   I didn’t understand AIRER in 24d till ACD mentioned it above, though I got AIRLINER anyway from the xref. I was reading “a irer”! Once I saw “airer”, I understood.

   I think 43d, EGO, was my favourite: very nice misdirection. I had to get E_O before I cottoned on.

   Thanks for the fun.

8. 

   Alan B

   #8 - Fri 19th May 17, 07:03

   
   

   Tony @7

   Thank you for your detailed and positive comments.

   I didn’t know Lizard was (or might have been) a Guardian setter. If he was, it was before I started doing such crosswords regularly a few years ago.

   I was pleased myself with EGO when it came to me. However, it is a case of ‘accidental plagiarism’ – I came across the identical clue (‘I say nothing’) in a newspaper crossword blogged on this site somewhere (this year, I think), and it was too late to pull my crossword. That would explain Sil’s comment on this blog that it was a ‘classic clue’. Perhaps there has been more than one previous instance!

   I enjoyed solving the other ‘volunteer’ crosswords too from the Nottingham event, and if I’m to submit another crossword myself I’ll have to keep my standards up!

9. 

   Alan B

   #9 - Sat 20th May 17, 07:41

   
   

   I would just like to thank the solvers again for their interest in this puzzle (and my other one – No. 2), and of course for their generous comments, generously given.

   Sil deserves my special thanks for posting these puzzles on this forum and adding his own knowledgeable summary and commentary.

   I am encouraged to have another go for a future occasion.

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