Author: vinyl1

Solving time: 57 minutes Music: Niamh Parsons, Blackbirds and Thrushes In no way is this an easy Monday puzzle, unless you have built up your vocabulary by doing barred-grid puzzles – in which case it … Read more “Times 25270 – Sonatine, Miroirs, Valse, Bolero…..”

Solving time:80 Minutes Music: Mahler, Symphony #9, Levine/Philadelphia This is a bank holiday puzzle, and so is designed to take up your whole day – which is all well and good if you’re in the … Read more “Times 25252 – Francesca da Bikini!”

Solving time: 59 Minutes Music: Old Blind Dogs, Close to the Bone This was a solve in three parts. In part one, I did all except the SW in 20 minutes. In part two, I … Read more “Times 25246 – I’d like to be 1 across, please”

Solving time: 65 Minutes Music: None, golf on TV I found this one rather difficult. There are a few unusual words, and in some cases the wordplay is not particularly helpful. I had to make … Read more “Times 25234 – Dinka or Luo, anyone?”

Solving time: 35 Minutes Music: Eric Clapton, Unplugged Quite a moderate puzzle, with a few tricks here and there. I seemed to be on the setter’s wavelength, and didn’t have any real problems, although there … Read more “Times 25222 – Another easy Monday”

Solving time: 65 Minutes Music: Mozart Notturno, Serenata Notturna, Overtures & Interludes, Maag, LSO My time includes a possible wrong answer in 25 down. I see all the words that it might be, but I … Read more “Times 25210 – The return of Mr. Rubble”

Solving time: 28 Minutes Music: Moravec Plays Chopin This puzzle is indeed very easy, and I had finished all but one clue in about 15 minutes. Unfortunately, I had a mental block on the final … Read more “Times 25198 – Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane?”

Solving time: 40 Minutes Music: Schubert, Wanderer Fantasy, Pollini This seemed like it was going to be an easy Monday puzzle, but I slowed down a little towards the end as some of the clues … Read more “Times 25186 – Nuke the Whalep!”

Solving time: 39 minutes Music: Mozart Piano Concertos, Kempff/Leitner I was quite slow getting started, reading a fair number of clues before lighting on 21 down and wrestling with it for a bit. I’d be … Read more “Times 25174 – Shakespeare on the Internet”

Solving time: 49 minutes Music: Bach, Cello Suites, Janos Starker I was not in good form on this puzzle, and botched up a number of clues that should have been easy. For example, I thought … Read more “Times 25162 – Have a go, don’t be shy!”