Now we are five …

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on Categories Announcement
Five years ago today, this announcement with brief comments on the day’s puzzle started off the cottage industry of blogging broadsheet cryptic crosswords. (Rather like cryptic crosswords themselves, I’d seen something similar done in the USA and decided to adapt it for local use.)

Thanks to all the contributors and commenters, past and present, who’ve made it a lively 5 years.

26 comments on “Now we are five …”

  1. When I retired, one of the things I missed most was sitting with colleagues at break times and discussing our individual attempts at the Times crossword. Over a coffee, we explained clues to each other or combined our efforts to crack a particularly tough nut. We each brought our particular spheres of knowledge to illuminate some literary, scientific, classical or other cultural reference, and reminisced about previous puzzles we had enjoyed.

    When I first discovered your blog, I was diffident about contributing, always having been content just to be able solve a puzzle in under half-an-hour. Encouraged by the contributions of others, however, I was emboldened to add my two penn’orth and even reveal my admittedly slow times.

    Thank you very much for the blog, Peter; and here’s to its success over the next five years.

  2. Congratulations Peter on your 5th anniversary and all best wishes for the future. Who could have envisaged 45 years ago when we were writing programs in machine code that this technology would lead to such instant world wide communication. Contributing to this community is never less than great fun.
  3. Well done, Peter! You have a good range of comments every day, and I’m sure setters like myself enjoy the feedback, whether we always agree with it or not. Where would I be without your little titbits and the musings of that contented drinker of red wine from Dorset! Keep it going, and I hope you will continue to draw others in. It’s such a good way for people to learn. Best wishes for the next five years. Don Manley
  4. Well done, Peter. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

    This is the only blog I visit most days of the week. Always interesting, occasionally cornflake-splutteringly annoying, sometimes intriguing (who was that masked anonymous man – a setter?), frequently funny. Pretty good mix for a blog and fairly reflective of the grand old institution of the puzzle itself.

  5. Congratulations on the milestone Peter and thanks to you and the other bloggers for turning me from a Times novice into a Cheltenham participant in less than 3 years.

    My younger daughter is 10 today so I’ll allow myself a double birthday tipple and have two glasses of tent, sack or it tonight.

  6. Congratulations Peter, and thanks.
    This is the only blog I have ever contributed to, or indeed read. It’s the first thing I look at when I get into the office (subject to meetings, business travel and similar distracting trivia) and has been consistently informative and entertaining.
    It’s also improving my performance. On current trends I should feel confident enough to enter the championship some time in 2027.
  7. I’ve just spent an amusing half-hour browsing through the old site, and discovered a couple of personal “firsts” (and approaching anniversaries):

    My first comment: 30th Jan 2006
    My first contributions: The whole of April 2006

    Blimey – my times are worse now than they were then! Is it getting harder or am I going senile?

    1. Slower times: I know the feeling – looking back at a few early posts, sub-5 seemed to happen a couple of times a month rather than about once a quarter. I hope they’re getting harder!
  8. Happy 5th birthday TFTT!

    Thanks to you Peter and all contributors for this blog. It entertains me everyday and has taught me a lot about solving too.

    Keep up the good work and enjoy the jelly and chocolate cake!

    Daniel

  9. Adapt, adopt and improve! Congrats on 5 years, Peter, I discovered the blog around September of 2007, made my first comment in October 2007 and it’s been a part of the daily life ever since. I went from an occasional part-solver to a pretty regular finisher in a couple of months.

    Hip hip hurrah and all that!

  10. Regards Peter, and congratulations on the 5 year mark, although I feel surprised to hear that it has been only that long. It seems as though this blog has been around much longer, and acquired a sort of institutional status. Thanks also for welcoming the foreign solvers, and for your gentle corrections when someone like me blunders in with some wrong solution based on non-UK English, as I’ve done several times. Best wishes.
  11. Thanks to Peter for setting this blog up, and for turning me on to it; and thanks to him and all the other bloggers and commenters for all the enlightening help. I’d hate to think of how little I would have progressed over the last 2-3 years if I had had only myself to turn to.Please keep it up!
  12. When I was young I was most impressed by the chess journalism of Harry Golombek. He was the first I identified as someone who absolutely did what he did, was what he was in public terms, and gave a hell of a lot to God knows how many people. Ray Keene looks to be another of that ilk, in the chess world; and you without doubt are the crossword man. And what’s more, it’s for free. Very many thanks.
  13. Well done, Peter; five years solid is an impressive feat, and looking at some of the early entries, and comments, it is clear how far the blog has advanced in that time.

    I note that the cost of joining The Times crossword club was the same then as it is now, at £24.99. And your words “The club is not perfect but seems to offer better value than other similar sites from other UK daily papers.” are as apposite now.

  14. Many congratulations! Learn something here pretty much every day, and it rarely fails to brighten a dull day at work. Thanks to all the regular bloggers, and particularly to Pete for the dedication over the years.

    Handel

  15. May I just echo some of the earlier comments and thank peter (and the other bloggers) for their valuable contribution to my crossword experience. When I stumbled upon this site a few years back I was definitely an occasional solver and it ranked somewhere below that nine-digit number puzzle which was all the rage at that stage. I now solve religiously every day, and although I mostly read this blog quite late on in the UK day and hence comment quite rarely, I have yet to miss reading a day, even when abroad, which I will be tomorrow weather permitting. I have even ventured as far as this years Cheltenham which would never have happened had I not found this site. Much appreciated.
  16. I doubt many blogs make it through to their fifth birthday or deserve longevity as much as yours. It is my daily “must read” and a civilised haven in a noisy world. Congratulations.
  17. Congratulations. It is said time seems to go by faster as one gets older and I’m tending to agree but my solving times have improved considerably…usually 15 minutes to a half hour. Must say I’ve learned a lot here and particularly enjoy the sidebars and links provided by the participants.
    For example, I like to track down and listen to recordings Vinyl1 posts when he blogs.
  19. As a relative new-comer, I’d like to add my thanks, too, Peter et al, for maintaining this fantastic resource. Having crossworded with my Dad for many years, I’d not found anyone as enthusiastic since I’d left home some 20 years ago. On visits home, we always share the same passion, and also, when I get to see my brothers, it’s one thing we always look forward to doing together. Anyway, I’m sure I could add my family (husband + kids)’s thanks to mine, as I have finally ceased nagging them into helping find that elusive word, or work out that annoying wordplay. Best wishes to all, and much appreciation!

    Janie

  20. Congratulations! T4tT has been of tremendous help in getting me tuned to the Times crossword. Thanks to Peter and all the contributors.

    – Shuchi

  21. And a big birthday hip, hip, hooray! from me. I’m glad you consented to let me fill a blogging spot and I can only say it’s been immense fun, not to mention an education.
  22. As they say in Parliament, I should like to associate myself with the previous remarks (*goes back to check they are all suitably complimentary*).
  24. I love this site, have ever since I found it in an article in Times2.
    All the bloggers who happily spend their time explaining the clues, the witty responses, the interesting links. And all that in a friendly atmosphere. Good place to be.

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