TLMB

For various reasons, I’ve not been setting much lately. I’m getting back on the horse slowly, though, so this month’s puzzle is a partial repeat. It’s the one I had in Rookie Corner in November, so if you checked it out then, don’t bother looking again. I’ve tweaked a few of the clues based on the feedback I got there, and the (mini-)theme is something that I think quite a few of you will appreciate.

There’ll be a completely new puzzle for July. I may try something different with the solution for this one next week, too…

Do me a favour, RT/share it if you enjoy it. Ta. Right, dive in, and towel off, hose heads.
Scroll down for in-browser solvable version.

Embedded playable puzzle: If relevant, use the cogwheel/settings menu to turn off the clock, and untick “skip over filled letters”, and the main menu to Save.

The solution to my May puzzle is in this image.

I wonder how the cricket non-fans got on. I hope 15/17 raised a smile – it was my favourite. 2/8 was perhaps a teeny bit unfair, but when I compiled the puzzle, I was under the impression that that was going to be the name of the magazine it was written for, so it felt okay at the time. Knowing Gale’s nickname, or who big Dwayne was would have been helpful, but hopefully those titbits didn’t stand in anyone’s way. Conversely, no knowledge of Capel, Salt or Trott was required. 10 was a bit of an obscure word, new to me, and 4a was pretty much an old Frank Carson gag “This one works, this one works,….”

Well, I declare!

This month’s puzzle was published in a magazine, but I expect most of you missed it, so here it is. I mentioned to Chameleon that I was theming a puzzle, and he reasonable asked “will it be solvable by people unfamiliar with the theme?”. I re-read the clues, and decided that 4 or 5 clues would be easier if you had a passing knowledge of the subject, but they should be gettable from the “other half” of the clue, or via crossing letters, or reasonable assumptions. So, for those that don’t like cricket, Don’t Panic, and give it a go! Let me know how you got on! 🙂

Solution up next week.

As ever, scroll down for a browser-solvable embedded version.

Embedded playable puzzle: If relevant, use the cogwheel/settings menu to turn off the clock, and untick “skip over filled letters”, and the main menu to Save.

I’ve recently been checking out the livestreamed solving stream CrypticSundays. It’s fun to participate in a group solve, and this week they did my October puzzle. I never know how hard my clues are, so it was really interesting to observe the solving process. From the mix of fast and slow cracking, I guess maybe I’m somewhere in the right ballpark. Well, anyway, it seemed to go down well. You can re-watch it (from 1h01m) at https://m.twitch.tv/videos/545689402 .

Meanwhile, I’m afraid I don’t have an online puzzle for February for you. I’ve got behind with my clueing, and had other stuff to be dealing with.

However, I’m pleased to say that I do have a February puzzle out! It’s just that it’s in Feb’s issue of 1Across magazine, which is for subscribers only. Happy to be making my debut in a crossword magazine. Hopefully the subscribers will find something to like in it.

Happy New Year, all. What kind of idiot releases a crossword on New Year’s Day? Me, of course. Here it is. Scroll down for browser-solvable version.

I still have another puzzle pending a test-solve, but in the meantime, hopefully this one will be a gentle-ish start to the new year. Solution up this time next week. I’m not sure if I’ll carry on posting puzzles to my blog, as near absolute zero feedback is not encouraging. But I’ll carry on setting, and trying to get them published, for sure.

Embedded playable puzzle: If relevant, use the cogwheel/settings menu to turn off the clock, and untick “skip over filled letters”, and the main menu to Save.

#TheVoidTLMB @TheVoidTLMB

I’m finally going to have one of my crosswords in print. As I write, the new magazine County Cricket Matters is “out next week”, containing a cricket-themed puzzle from me. (It should be solvable for non-cricket fans too… at least that’s my intention.) The mag costs peanuts, so why not grab your copy right now, from here.

Before I get to this month’s crossword, earlier in the month I had an idea for an emergency crossword, but wasn’t sure if I’d find the time to get it done. At the Bristol Crossword Club, though, Will said he was up for doing some clueing and brainstorming with me, so after a couple of weeks, it made it out into the world. At the time of writing, there’s still time to solve the emergency. You can find this one on GoCrossword. (Requires iOS11+, or a new-ish browser. Solve online, or [File>Print] from the site menu.)

Meanwhile, I’d planned this month’s crossword to coincide with a TV show. I don’t normally do more than the odd cross-reference in my puzzles, but this one has a few. The referenced answers are intended not to be too tough to solve, to help with that. Let me know how you got on.

Answers will be up in a week.

#TheVoidTLMB @TheVoidTLMB

Embedded playable puzzle: If relevant, use the cogwheel/settings menu to turn off the clock, and untick “skip over filled letters”, and the main menu to Save.