Author: jackkt

Time taken to solve: 40 minutes. Most of this went in quite easily, especially the SW where I was solving faster than I could write (a rare experience for me) but I slowed towards the … Read more “24723 – All answers confined to characters in the first 25…”

Time taken to solve: 45 minutes but I spent longer checking the wordplay as I went than I would on a day when I was not preparing the blog. I’d class this as another quite … Read more “TIMES – 24711”

Time taken to solve:70 minutes. I got off to a very slow start with this one and early in the proceedings I had serious doubts if I would be able to crack it. Eventually I … Read more “Times 24699 – HEAVY WEATHER”

I thought I was heading for a sub 30 minute solve which would be quite good for me but I got a bit tied up in the NW with 9, 2, 4 and 11, and … Read more “Times 24687 – Still No Stinker!”

 Time taken to solve: I’d like to claim 20 minutes which would be excellent for me but in truth I have to add another 20 or thereabouts for solving 25ac and satisfying myself that it … Read more “TIMES 24675 – A STING IN THE TAIL”

This took me 75 minutes of hard graft which I did not much enjoy and I was not helped by a very tough 1ac which after an hour had passed I decided to look up. … Read more “Times 24663 – Bird strike!”

Another slow solve for me today at a little under an hour though I spent longer working out the wordplay as I went along than I would on a non-blogging day. Once again I don’t … Read more “TIMES 24651 – Not quite so easy”

I was rather surprised to find that 50 minutes had passed when I completed this puzzle as I was not aware of being stuck at any point. I’m always a bit slow on my blogging … Read more “Times 24639 – ZZ…ZZ…”

Time taken to solve: 45 minutes. I thought I was heading for about 30 but the SE corner, 15dn in particular, put up some resistance at the end. Mostly a fairly straightforward puzzle with only … Read more “Times 24627 – One Hump or Two?”

 I hope I won’t be the only person to have found this difficult. I started out quite comfortably and for a while I thought I was heading for a respectable solving time (for me) of … Read more “24615 – A STING IN THE TAIL”