54 comments on “Neil Shepherd – RIP”

  1. One of the very best. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting him, over the last ten years, I corresponded with him whenever either of us had a puzzle published. I learned so much from him about crosswords and Wagner. He was such a lovely bloke and so unassuming.

    Thanks for everything, Neil.

  2. I am so very sorry to learn this sad news. Neil provided me with a great deal of encouragement when I submitted a crosswords to him for a guest slot on his excellent website, and was always generous with his praise when I began to have some published in the dailies. His own puzzles were always a pleasure to solve. Such a kind person.

  3. What terribly sad news. I can only echo what Harold says – he was greatly encouraging and supportive when I submitted a puzzle for a guest slot on his website last year, very generous with his time and advice. He stopped taking guest submissions shortly after that, which wasn’t a surprise since he had mentioned health problems in our correspondence, but it’s still a shock to read this.

    For budding amateur setters like me, the benefit of his vast experience and wisdom that he shared through his writing on crossword matters on his website is invaluable. Although the Guardian is my daily crossword of choice, I’ve always enjoyed Alberich/Klingsor puzzles in the FT and Indy when I’ve done them – often quite challenging but always scrupulously fair, clever and fun.

    Thoughts are with his family.

  4. Condolences to all who were close to him. I never met him in person, but his site is a goldmine of information for solvers and setters that I have found invaluable. That he spent so much time sharing his knowledge, and wrote so much material to be freely available, speaks to his generous spirit.

  5. Great setter and a great loss to crossworld.

    As others, and I’m sure many more will say, he was one of the key people in helping new setters on their way to paid publication with a spot on his site and excellent encouragement, feedback and advice. He was also kind enough not to laugh too much at me when, in an email exchange a few years back, I got the Flying Scotsman (train) mixed up with the Flying Dutchman (opera).

    He and his puzzles will be missed. My condolences to those close to him.

  6. This is very sad news.

    Although, I never attempted many of his puzzles, I would now and again read the 15² blog of them, just to admire his beautiful cluing style.

    When I first decided I wanted to try and create a cryptic crossword puzzle a few years ago, I asked on this site where I could get some advice about cluing and Gaufrid directed me to Neil’s site. It was tremendously helpful and I have referred back to it countless times since then.

    Later, I submitted a rather deficient puzzle to him and although he didn’t publish it, he gave me a lot of very useful feedback and it even led to a new page on his site about creating grids for puzzles.

    In line with Neil’s strict rule, I had to wait six months before I could try again for a slot in his Guest Puzzles. When I did, his editorial guidance was superb and I got the puzzle published and it is still a point of pride that he gave one of my clues the highest accolade in the preamble.

    When I finally had a puzzle published in the Independent, I received, out of the blue, a congratulatory email from Neil, which I found very touching.

    I have often found myself quoting his view of some point of cluemanship or other and recommending his site to aspiring setters.

    I suppose the website will persist until the domain rental runs out? Let’s hope that Neil’s writings will be safely archived before that happens.

    This is a great loss to the world of crosswords. RIP Neil.

  8. This is very sad news indeed. A writer of most elegant clues, who I corresponded with from time to time. I met him just once, at the Listener Setters’ annual dinner, in Newcastle in 2004. A tremendous guy – my condolences to all his relatives and close friends.

    Raich/Gurney

  10. What a complete shock. I had meant to email Neil last weekend to see how he was getting on. A hugely supportive figure for so many of us trying to make our way in crossword setting. Always so generous with his time and so wise with his advice. Every puzzle he set was a pleasure to solve. RIP Neil.

  11. I can only echo the sentiments of all the other setters who Neil went out of his way to encourage, advise and help, and all the solvers who enjoyed his excellent puzzles. A sad loss for us all.

  12. Such terrible news. As well as being a top setter, Neil was an incredibly encouraging and supportive influence on many newbies, including myself. I’ll be forever grateful to him for the time he took to give me expert feedback and then publish one of my crosswords on his site. He was the person who gave me the confidence to approach a national and get published. The crossword world is a much poorer place without him. RIP Neil.

  13. How very sad. Such an outstanding setter, flawless puzzles and never any parsing issues. Condolences to his friends and family. I’ll miss him.

  15. Thank you, fifteensquared, for giving people the opportunity to share their own perspectives on Neil. Add me to the long list of aspiring setters who benefitted greatly from his generosity, intelligence and passion. My experiences of having puzzles edited by Neil taught me to strive for perfection and helped me to reach a different level. With me, he was always kind, fair, and encouraging. After having my first puzzle published in the Independent back in February, I meant to write to him to thank him for helping me get to that level; however, when I saw on his website that he was unwell, I decided to postpone the message until he’d recovered. The fact that this message will never be sent is upsetting, although the gratitude it would have expressed will always be there. Thank you, Neil. Will (Bluebird/Conto)

  16. This is very sad news. Neil published one of my puzzles on his site – well before I was published anywhere else – and he was incredibly generous with his encouragement and feedback. His puzzles were also consistently great. I’ll miss him a lot.

  17. Terribly sad to hear this – Neil has been a wonderful and inspirational figure in our crossword world for years.
    He kindly published my first four puzzles on his site, and as everyone says, he was always and consistently both generous and wise.
    If anyone reading this hasn’t visited Alberich Crosswords, please do so; it’s an absolute treasure trove.
    Rest in peace.

  18. This was absolutely shocking news. I couldn’t quite process it when I heard because I knew that he had health problems, but he was admitted to hospital for tests about six weeks ago and suggested that he might be back in action a week later.

    I was fortunate enough to meet him in Prague a few years ago and we had a beer or two together and he was very good company.

    As an editor one couldn’t hope for a better setter. There was hardly ever anything questionable in his clues and he made it clear that he couldn’t be more prolific because he spent so long polishing his clues. It showed.

    When Don Manley asked me to recommend a puzzle to represent the Independent crosswords in the latest edition of his crossword guide I had no hesitation in recommending Neil’s tribute to his beloved Wagner. Every clue was on theme as well as a perimetrical Nina.

    As has been noted, he was very generous with his help and advice for aspiring setters. But I was always very pleased when he complimented me on one of my clues, because when Klingsor singles out one of your clues for praise you know you’re doing well.

    So while this is very sad and shocking news, Neil should know that he’s made a mark on this world and left many people very sad at his passing.

  19. Very sad to hear this. I used to love Alberich and Kingsor’s puzzles, and his web site is indeed a trasure trove of information. So nice to find another Wagner enthiusiast in crosswordland too. R.i.P.

  21. This is so sad. His puzzles meant a lot to me in my early solving days and probably played a big part in building my enthusiasm. The same was true of another reliably crystalline, classical Independent setter we lost too soon, Dac. I liked the Wagner link too, as it made me feel like a bit of a kindred spirit. Both pseudonyms are really quite outrageous – even more villainous than Ximenes and Torquemada!

  22. On Guest Puzzles 1 and 2 in the Alberich Crosswords website can be found a couple of my earliest efforts (set by John), between which two I managed to get my first pro gig with the FT, as NS mentions in his blurb. Surely not a coincidence as regards publication. I was grateful to him, and reading through the list of names of other compilers appearing on those pages, I can imagine some, who have also gone on to become well-known, feeling the same way.

    As you look down the topics list on his website you can find discussions on many aspects of the art, and, perhaps therefore unsurprisingly, if you take a look at them, as Klingsor and Alberich he was rightly famed for his tight cluing. And within that Ximenean framework, which some (bizarrely) call a prison-house, he was a true and unhindered artist, providing some of the best clues ever written.

    RIP Neil, thank you for your help, and commiserations to your family.

  23. Sad news. Deepest condolences to his loved ones.
    Besides doing his crosswords (and blogging one of them), I had contact with him when I had difficulty (my error as it turned out) accessing his excellent website. I was impressed by his readiness to help, which was in keeping with his mentoring of others, as they have expressed here.
    RIP Neil Shepherd.

  24. Sad news indeed. Although I didn’t know very much about him, I always got a thrill seeing the Klingsor name above a puzzle. He will be missed.

  25. I was very sad to hear this news although I knew he had been ill. For the FT he was an immaculate compiler and one who I often had to encourage to send me more puzzles. His kindness to would-be compilers is highlighted by the many comments here.
    A fervent Wagnerian with strident views about modern opera productions: we had many conversations and reminiscences over the years. His review of the Goodall Ring cycle on his website is magnificent. Perhaps we can hope that the content of his crossword website can be preserved, a treasure trove indeed.
    I shall aim to run one of his earlier puzzles in the FT in due course, with a few words of farewell in the jotter pad space.

  26. A real blow to the stomach to encounter this news on first visiting the site. I’ve always enjoyed the Klingsor Indy puzzles and have found his website invaluable over the last few months. It’s a permanently open tab on my browser – it’s in front of me as I write. Very sad start to the day.

  27. Really sad news. We could usually get on Klingsor/Alberich’s wavelength when solving one of his puzzles, but even if we couldn’t we were never disappointed. We shall miss him, but maybe there will be occasional reprints in the i to lighten the gloom.

  28. Like PostMark, I’ve only just read this sad news and I’m deeply shocked.
    I’ve never aspired to be a setter but I really enjoyed visiting Neil’s helpful and encouraging site and, of course, loved his puzzles and regret not having had the pleasure of blogging them.
    I did correspond with him by email and was overwhelmed a couple of years ago when he included my name in an Alberich puzzle.
    I always cherished the hope that I might meet him at one of our gatherings. It never happened, of course but, nevertheless, I feel I have lost a dear and valued friend. He will, indeed, be sorely missed.

  29. This is very sad news. When I first took up setting, Alberich Crosswords was one of the sites I consulted frequently. Neil’s articles have definitely had an influence on me and I am very grateful for the resource. I also hope they can saved for use by aspiring setters in the future.

    More recently, I have looked out for his comments on the Inquisitor and EV blogs. He knew his stuff, so I took a nod from him to be a sign that the setter had done well.

  30. I can only echo the warm comments that others have made. I rarely tackle other than Guardian puzzles but the few of Neil’s which I have solved were certainly masterful as well as enjoyable. However, as several posters have already mentioned, it was his unfailing encouragement to tyro setters which really marked him out as a lovely person as well as a top compiler. He was extremely complimentary about a puzzle of mine which he put on his website. His place in Valhalla is secure.

  32. Very sad news. As you’ll all know I’m a bit of a stickler, but the Alberich/ Klingsor puzzles always passed the mark, and went well beyond in fact. A great writer RIP.

  33. Sorry to hear that Alberich has passed. He was a very supportive man, who said good things about a puzzle I sent him for inclusion in his “newbies” section. I always enjoyed solving (and blogging) his Ft puzzles.

  34. “Excellent puzzle which took the best part of an hour across two sittings on Monday to get out. Lots of interesting tricks used throughout and the new learning … ” was the start of my post of his last FT puzzle which so typified his work !
    So sad to hear the passing of one of our crossword fraternity and even though I never had the pleasure to correspond with him, can see from the above comments that his character transcended into his life outside the puzzle.
    My sincere condolence to the family … and life is a little poorer now.

  37. As everyone, so sorry Neil has gone. I am of so many who benefitted from his generosity to would-be setters. I lost my Dad in January and we had so many messages from those he had touched. My Mum, in her grief, wanted to bin them because they made her cry, but happily she didn’t. She now finds some solace in reading what her husband meant to others, and I can only hope that Neil’s family, in due course, may feel the same.
    Dill

  38. What dreadful news. I don’t know how old he was, but for some reason he gave the impression of not being old. He put one of my puzzles on his website many years ago, but since then I had no dealings with him beyond delightedly solving his puzzles in the Indy and the FT. He was in my opinion one of the very best setters. It seemed that one could never criticise any of his clues, and they were imaginative and elegant. I hope there are more of his crosswords in the pipeline.

  40. What terrible news. I can only repeat what has already been said. Neil was an outstanding setter and unstinting in his generosity and support to would-be setters. He will be much missed.

  41. I was very happy to accept Neil’s excellent Wagner puzzle for Chambers Crossword Manual in 2014, and he contacted me with a lovely thank-you note. That was our only interaction, but a very pleasant one. Obviously a great loss to our pastime. Sad.

  42. Klingsor puzzles always exemplified my feeling that the real skill lies in making a medium-difficulty puzzle entertaining via imaginative clues with good surfaces. Ninas and other tricks are fun but mere diversions unless the remainder of the puzzle cleaves to that principle. Neil did few Ninas and concerned himself mainly with providing entertaining puzzles.

    Whenever anyone comes to me for advice I hope I am helpful, but the greatest advice I give is to point them at his site. I hope someone can be found to keep it active.

    Commiserations to his family.

  43. Very sad news. A wonderful setter, and peerless when it came to &lits. I didn’t have much interaction with him, but I had a brief e-mail exchange after he made some very generous comments. It sounds like he was often generous with both praise and advice. He will be greatly missed.

  44. I too am grateful for the help and encouragement that Neil gave so graciously. My condolences to his friends and family.

  45. I never corresponded with him, but learned a lot from his site. Belated thanks for that. All the text of the site will no doubt be archived by the wayback machine, but puzzle pdfs probably won’t be.
    R.I.P.

  46. Great compiler. His work will be missed by many and certainly by me. RIP.

    I too hope his site will be archived somewhere safe and accessible.

  48. I’m in a state of shock. I’ve been in fairly regular contact with him over the years but had no idea he was ill. I was planning to go and see him in June.

  49. Very sad news, and condolences to those close to Neil.
    I never met or corresponded with him, but I had the pleasure of blogging at least 13 of his Saturday Indy puzzles over the years, between 2011 and 2019. I have had a retrospective look through them and, as Phi says above, they were all ‘medium-difficulty’ and ‘entertaining’ puzzles, without too many themes or Ninas – although he did allow himself the liberty of a HUNDRED PUZZLES Nina when he reached that landmark with Indy 10,170. And Indy 9991 included many characters from ‘The Munsters’!

  50. I’ve only today just read of Neil’s death; tragic and a great loss.

    He helped me at the start of my compiling by publishing some of my crosswords and was always positive.

    Condolences to his family.

  51. I have only just now learned of this shocking and terribly sad news.

    At a personal level, Neil was an extremely witty and encouraging correspondent as well as great company – imbued with a mischievously cynical sense of humour – on the handful of occasions we met. At a professional level, Neil was a master of the cruciverbal art: his clues were air-tight, fair and entertaining, and always had beautifully polished surfaces. We often road-tested each other’s draft Indy and FT puzzles, and the experience was both enlightening and great fun.

    Neil and I exchanged emails on finer details (some pretty arcane) of Ximenean clueing, and I always learnt something from his views. His web site was a beautifully clear, eminently readable repository for beginners and experts alike, based at it was on his huge experience, attention to linguistic detail, generosity with advice and conversational style of writing. I do hope that it will at some time in the future be possible for the goldmine of information therein to be published in its own right as a crossword-manual tribute to Neil’s great contribution to us all.

    I liked and admired Neil greatly, and will miss him tremendously. His untimely passing is a huge loss to our community.

    RIP Neil/Alberich/Klingsor; my deepest sympathy and condolences to his family.

  52. I read this news with great shock and sadness. I only knew Neil through his puzzles, but over the years they have provided me with hours of joy. When I had my first puzzle published in the Independent, Neil wrote me a very kind note of encouragement. I was (and remain still) very touched by the gesture. Rest in peace. Condolences to family and friends.

  53. I just wanted to add a few words to register my shock and sadness at this news. As with many other new setters, Neil provided me with encouragement and advice from an early stage and was kind enough to publish a couple of my puzzles on his website. He was always generous with his advice and often shared a few observations on the state of English cricket as well.

    I am deeply saddened by the news of his untimely death and send my sympathy to his family and friends

  54. I’ve just learnt the tragic news myself. Very sad. I had a lot of correspondence with Neil, he offered excellent advice, his website is one of the best in Crosswordland, and he was kind enough to put two of my puzzles online. I shall miss him and his encouraging messages greatly.

    He wrote to me personally a few weeks ago to say that he had read my recent post on this site, he was undergoing tests, but he asked me not to publicise this.

    R.I.P. Neil.

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