Dalibor (Sil) was a regular attendee at S&Bs all around the country, usually bringing a themed puzzle with him prepared specially for the event. 16 of his puzzles had been published in the Independent. We are really pleased that he has submitted this puzzle for the York S&B. We miss him and hope to see him again soon, maybe next year?
If you were not at the York S&B, but would like to tackle Dalibor’s puzzle, click HERE
Dalibor celebrates John’s special birthday in his puzzle for York, noting that 1963 was also the year that Ray Davies co-founded the Kinks – one of the great British bands of the swinging 60s … and the theme for the puzzle.
We really enjoyed this puzzle, featuring Dalibor’s smooth surfaces and multiple themed entries – admittedly we only recognised 8d/13ac and 15ac as Kinks tracks as we were solving the clues, waiting in vain for ‘Waterloo Sunset’ or ‘Sunny Afternoon’ to pop up (and realising that even Dalibor wouldn’t manage to get ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’ or ‘The Village Green Preservation Society’ into the grid). However, with some electronic help we discovered the titles of 6 more, perhaps less well-known (at least to us) singles: 1ac, 7d, 11ac, 18ac/21d, 24ac/22d and 29ac.
It’s good to know that Dalibor has not lost his touch – 11 thematic words in a solver-friendly grid with only two words that we had never come across before (2d and 17ac).
We’re looking forward to his return to the Indy… and to seeing him next year in York?
ACROSS
1 Film script? (7,4)
PICTURE BOOK
A sort of Cryptic Definition: PICTURE (film) + BOOK (script?) – for some directors a film script might well take the form of a Picture Book
7 Revolutionary with personalised make-up (3)
DNA
A reversal (‘revolutionary’) of AND (with)
9 Henry visiting shop in Asian city (5)
DELHI
H (Henry) in or ‘visiting’ DELI (shop)
10 A free person now, Rory Stewart is one against computer technology (2-7)
EX-CONVICT
EX-CON (Rory Stewart was a Conservative MP) V (against) + ICT (Information and Communication Technology – ‘computer technology’)
11 Execute dirty liars outside paradise (7-2)
SHANGRI-LA
HANG (execute) with an anagram (‘dirty’) of LIARS outside
12 Ten cleared from gender discrimination – that’s shocking (5)
SEISM
SExISM (gender discrimination) with the ‘x’ (ten) missing or ‘cleared’ – a new word for us, but with obvious connections to seismology
13 Yearbook with a passage about saving money (7)
ALMANAC
A + a reversal (‘about’) of CANAL (passage) around or ‘saving’ M (money)
15 In embassy a diplomat retreated at least 48 hours (4)
DAYS
Hidden and reversed (‘retreated’) in embasSY A Diplomat
18 Form of art presented on debut of Suzanne Vega? (4)
STAR
An anagram (‘form’) of ART after or ‘on’ S (first letter or ‘debut’ of Suzanne)
20 First mortal woman ignoring half of global health issue? Singer called Rita (7)
PANDORA
Half of PANDemic (global health issue) ORA (the singer Rita Ora)
23 Not our UK neighbours, shortly (5)
THEIR
THE IR (abbreviation for ‘Irish’) – The Irish are ‘UK neighbours’
24 Pop idol in pursuit of part of prison uniform for films (9)
CELLULOID
An anagram (‘pop’) of IDOL after or ‘in pursuit of’ CELL (part of prison) U (uniform in the phonetic alphabet)
26 Hospital worker wasted glorious opportunity, essentially (9)
UROLOGIST
An anagram (‘wasted’) of GLORIOUS and T (middle or ‘essential’ letter of opportunity)
27 Both of us framed by 10 or 11-year old kid, possibly (5)
TWEEN
WE (both of us) in or ‘framed by’ TEN
28 Decisive blows for Greek island (3)
KOS
Double definition
29 Speaker well-dressed for someone moving about at night (11)
SLEEPWALKER
An anagram (‘dressed’) of SPEAKER WELL
DOWN
1 High speed train’s introduction at first abysmal, lacking support (8)
PEDESTAL
An anagram (‘high’) of SPEED + T (first letter or ‘introduction’ of train) + A L (first letters of ‘abysmal lacking’)
2 Look into deep cleft in the ground, on one condition (8)
CHLOASMA
LO (look) in CHASM (deep cleft in the ground) + A (one) – a new word for us, but eminently gettable from the wordplay and crossing letters
3 “Taking drugs at home” divides American government (5)
USING
IN (at home) in or ‘dividing’ US (American) G (government)
4 English version of Gaelic expressing sorrow (7)
ELEGIAC
E (English) + an anagram (‘version’) of GAELIC
5 Evil creature not easy to be found in fruit trees (7)
ORCHARD
ORC (evil creature) HARD (not easy)
6 According to Spooner, Heather’s family town (5,4)
KING’S LYNN
A Spoonerism of LING’S (heather’s) KIN (family)
7 Sittin’ behind the wheel with, it’s reported, non-sweet French wine (6)
DRIVIN’
A homophone (‘it’s reported’) of DRY (non-sweet) + VIN (French for wine) – we have never seen the ‘g’ missing from a crossword entry before, but we realised on completion that this is one of the thematic entries, the title of a Kinks song that we were not familiar with
8 Half of the BBC, as some say, getting to grips with corporation’s fall (6)
AUTUMN
Half of AUNtie (‘the BBC, as some say’) around or ‘getting to grips with’ TUM (corporation)
14 Infamous hunter almost closed in by them? (9)
NOTORIOUS
ORIOn (hunter) missing the last letter or ‘almost’ in or ‘closed in by’ NOT US (‘them’)
16 Mark’s isolated within Jersey?(4,4)
POLO NECK
POCK (mark) with LONE (isolated) inside
17 Alan Titchmarsh perhaps turned red with anger (8)
GARDENER
An anagram (‘turned’) of RED and ANGER
19 Relax playground policy (7)
RECLINE
REC (playground) LINE (policy)
20 Nowadays Rishi Sunak’s in possession of a large first-rate computer (7)
PALMTOP
PM (Prime Minister – ‘nowadays Rishi Sunak’) around A L (large) + TOP (first rate)
21 Front of Skoda heavy vehicle hit (6)
STRUCK
S (first letter or ‘front’ of Skoda) TRUCK (heavy vehicle)
22 Girl’s lovers oddly dumped for frontline workers? (6)
HEROES
HER (girl’s) lOvErS (even letters only – ‘oddly dumped’)
25 Extremist‘s assault racist to some extent (5)
ULTRA
Hidden (‘to some extent’) in assaULT RAcist
Lots to like here: I know nothing of the Kinks so the theme escaped me. I’ll give ticks for AUTUMN, ALMANAC, NOTORIOUS, POLO NECK, SLEEPWALKER and others. Like B&J I’d never heard of CHLOASMA though I recall coming across the similar (but totally unrelated) CHIASMA. As for SEISM … certainly looked like it fitted the wordplay and crossers, but it wasn’t until I pronounced the word correctly that I twigged!
Only minus point: Normally I’d be most unhappy (and probably so would Ximenes) with DRIVIN’ – but with the above explanation about the thematic link, I suppose it has to be acceptable here – though I would prefer ghost-thematic words to be words…
Thanks to Dalibor and B&J – and it was nice to meet you yesterday.
A model crossword, I thought, which needed no knowledge of the explicit theme – except only for DRIVIN’ in the top right. I liked the crisp, economical clues.
I came to a halt in the top right, focused on the clue for KING’S LYNN as an entry into that small corner. What a neat spoonerism that was.
I didn’t know any of the Kinks’ titles, but I didn’t need to know (except DRIVIN’, which I looked up).
Thanks to both Dalibor and Bertandjoyce. (I was unable to attend the event, but I hope to attend future events if I am able.)
A Dalibor puzzle – what a lovely surprise! Impeccably clued as always. Hope to see another one soon and hopefully some of your incisive blogging!
Enjoyed this one, but missed the theme completely (not really my area of expertise). Thanks Sil.
This was a solid puzzle and a reasonable challenge. I assumed the notes were an indication of some theme, but none of the clues really registered with me (although in retrospect, Celluloid Heroes sounds familiar). Big Sky might be one of my favorite Kinks tracks.