Times 27865 – Out with the auld, in with the noo

Author   ulacaPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic
Coinciding with my retirement (at an incredibly young age, I must add), I manage what I am pretty sure is a personal best on a Mon-Sat Times cryptic (9:45). But enough about me. How did you do?

I like to use this pulpit to give the occasional homily and for today’s text I would like to draw on a comment made last week by a long-time lurker, who said that this was one of the most gracious spaces on the internet. How much I endorse that sentiment, as someone who lurked for six months or so before becoming a contributor 11 years ago, taking up blogging duties eight and a half years back.

There are so many aspects of this blog that I treasure (the more so since the place where I live – Hong Kong – now effectively criminalises free speech as it regresses to the dark ages): the different types of characters that frequent this oasis (even the odd wind-up merchant or two!), the different approaches to the art of blogging (from the para-scientific to the, um, quirky), the benefit of the doubt that people typically give others when they are perceived to be sailing close to the wind, the absence of silly squabbling over trifles, the tell-it-like-it-is, no-beating-about-the-bush approach to technical matters (parsing, factual matters etc).

So, a big thank-you to everyone who helps make this site a place I always enjoy coming to to be educated, entertained and edified.

ACROSS

1 Muslim ruler’s last month in hospital (6)
SULTAN – ULT (last month in Victorian bureaucratese) in SAN
4 Unmannerly chit initially having fling with one’s husband (8)
CHURLISH – C[hit] HURL (fling) IS (one’s) H (husband)
10 Outstanding peacekeepers put down roots (9)
UNSETTLED – UN (United Nations, bless ’em) SETTLED (put down roots)
11 Military unit’s chaplain quietly becoming Conservative (5)
CADRE – PADRE becomes CADRE as the P (quietly) morphs to C (conservative)
12 Tanzanian port makes bold sadly to back America (3,2,6)
DAR ES SALAAM – DARES (makes bold) ALAS reversed AM (America, bless her)
14 Continental character, and when he might turn up? (3)
ETA – Greek letter and Estimated Time of Arrival
15 Sources of comfort only found lining fashionable shoes at first (7)
INSOLES – SOLE in IN (fashionable) S[hoes]
17 See Anglican cleric entering calmly (6)
EVENLY – VEN (in C of E, the style usually given to an archdeacon) in ELY (see or bishopric)
19 Aim to follow member’s story (6)
LEGEND – LEG END
21 A northern girl crossing river in mountainous principality (7)
ANDORRA – R (river) in A N DORA
23 Spot head of zoo taking computer studies (3)
ZIT – Z[it] IT (nerdy pursuit)
24 Way I write journal, like some magistrates (11)
STIPENDIARY – ST I PEN DIARY
26 In Bhopal, a thick, long, heavy stick (5)
LATHI – hidden in words 2, 3 and 4; a stick found more often in crosswords now than on the streets, I imagine
27 Musician, odd chap associated with tango (9)
TRUMPETER – T (tango) RUM (odd) PETER (random chap)
29 A year’s rent for an old place in Scotland (8)
AYRSHIRE – A YR’S HIRE; the historic county of Ayrshire (home of Robert the Bruce and Rabbie Burns) is now sub-divided between four council areas
30 Make an impression in Turkey’s borders, being irritable (6)
TETCHY – ETCH in T[urke]Y

DOWN

1 Private soldier, second one of four to go west (8)
SQUADDIE – S QUAD DIE (to go west)
2 No-hoper’s new role picking up seaweed at front (5)
LOSER – S[eaweed] anagram* of ROLE
3 Area north of Italian islet (3)
AIT – A above (north of) IT
5 Doctor’s alter ego trapping rodent in compound (7)
HYDRATE – RAT in HYDE (the nutty half)
6 Approved play area old firm finally repaired (11)
RECOMMENDED – REC (play area) O (old) [fir]M MENDED
7 Popular countertenor once going about with one persistently present (9)
INDWELLER – IN W in DELLER; Alfred Deller was a famous English countertenor, who had somehow escaped my notice. Part of the reason for this is that I can’t abide a man trying to sound like a woman, while I am an absolute sucker for a boy sounding like a woman
8 Sound made by animal, male, beginning to eat fruit (6)
HEEHAW – HE ([generic pronominal] male) E[at] HAW (fruit)
9 Irish county’s leader absent constantly (6)
ALWAYS – [g]ALWAY’S; to be sure…
13 Sea cook’s story verbally identifying worker in precious metal (11)
SILVERSMITH – If a deck-hand wanted to refer to a yarn spun by pirate captain (and erstwhile chef) Long John Silver, he might say ‘Silver’s myth’
16 Onlooker’s cheers welcomed by policeman dropping in (9)
SPECTATOR – TA (cheers) in [in]SPECTOR
18 Like Rumpole we lay drunk on railway (8)
LAWYERLY – WE LAY* on RLY
20 Gap traversed by the German fishing-boat (7)
DRIFTER – RIFT in DER (German for ‘the’, as in ‘Der Bomber’, AKA Gerd Muller)
21 Tree-lined approach, a place to meet (6)
AVENUE – A VENUE
22 Extreme characters crushing a meadow plant (6)
AZALEA – AZ (extreme characters) on top of (crushing) A LEA
25 Big lorry, one originally carrying paintings on top (5)
ARTIC – I (one) C (originally carrying) under ART (paintings on top)
28 American writer needing oxygen in gym (3)
POE – O in PE; one for Brother Jonathan, as one of our esteemed number might say…

92 comments on “Times 27865 – Out with the auld, in with the noo”

  1. 23 minutes, so one for ambitious QC-ers to try, methinks. I looked twice at LAWYERLY and INDWELLER but otherwise it was plainsailing. I knew of Deller who had a Consort named after him, and a son Mark, also a countertenor and famous in his own right.
    1. Not forgetting of course his son Keith Deller, World Darts Champion 1983. Mr Grumpy
    2. I’m a semi-ambitious QC-er, came up just a couple of clues short after 40 mins. Deller just too obscure for me.
  2. A brief hope of getting in under 10′, but HEEHAW and ETA put paid to that. It took a frustrating while to recall Alfred DELLER. I didn’t know that ANDORRA is a principality (and an odd one it is: the joint heads of state are the Bishop of Urgell and the President of France). DAR ES SALAAM was a gimme; the setter could have said ‘African port’, although the enumeration pretty much settles things. I didn’t bother to read the clue until after submitting.
    Congratulations, U, on your PB and on your retirement.
  3. 12:55 for me so close to a PB. I think I got in the 10 and change once. INDWELLER was my only doubt, since DELLER had escaped my notice too. But certainly a very plausible name. It was my LOI since I waited to have all the checkers even though I’d thought of it the first time I looked at the clue. Of course, INDWELLER is a word I doubt I’ve ever seen before, but also very plausible.

    Definitely one for any QC lurkers here to have a go at. Only a few clues are much beyond the QC level.

  4. Many, many unknowns in this puzzle — but everything was quite fair and gettable.
  5. I took a not very adventurous punt on the unheard of countertenor and RLY (rather than RY) for ‘railway’ also held me up a bit. The one that caused me the most trouble though was my LOI DRIFTER; I couldn’t work out what was being ‘traversed’ by what. Finished in 22 minutes and was disappointed not to have snuck in under 20 minutes.

    No PB, but as a fellow recent retiree (day 4 so far) I heartily endorse ulaca’s comments about what a welcoming and enjoyable site this is and thank him and everyone else who makes it so.

    1. I am also on Day 4 of my retirement. The company I established in May 1982 now handed over to longstanding friends and colleagues. Seems like three weeks ago.
      1. Best wishes for your retirement and for the future of your company. The brief period of my post-paid employment existence has been disproportionately taken up in organising medical appointments; let’s hope it’s not a sign of things to come!
    2. I too wholeheartedly endorse ulaca’s comments about the Times for the Times site and extend my thanks to him and all the other bloggers, setters and commentators who make it such an entertaining and informative place to visit each morning.

      Edited at 2021-01-04 12:04 pm (UTC)

  6. Never heard of (let alone heard… for all I know) Deller, but INDWELLER seemed obvious eventually. Had to guess at LATHI, and SQUADDIE was late to emerge.
    I got the new-to-me STIPENDIARY well before my LOI, which was, ridiculously enough, AVENUE. My excuse is that I was distracted by watching YouTube videos of Argentinian carnavales. ¡Arriba!

    I have no idea where I fall on the Ulaca scale of bloggers.

    Edited at 2021-01-05 11:45 am (UTC)

  7. congratulations on your time and your retirement. Will you stay in HK? I was 57 when “I quit the police department, found myself a steady job.”
    I may not be quite in your most gracious category, methink!’

    My time was 19 minutes – a couple held me up in the northeastern suburbs – it should have been 15 if I’d been awake.

    FOI 26ac LATHI the sub-Continental anti-riot stick

    LOI 17ac EVENLY

    COD 6ac CHURLISH although why ‘chit’ and not something like chap?

    WOD 1dn SQUADDIE

    As per Jack, one for some of the Old Blighters on the other channel. Come on over!

    Edited at 2021-01-04 06:23 am (UTC)


      1. I wondered if anyone would pick up on the cross-over from Polythene Pam. It still does me over, their close harmony – ‘When she came in through the bathroom window….’ – they almost became the Beach Boys (USSR), or Dead’s ‘Terrapin Station’ or Heart’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’! All give me goose-bumps.

        HNY Meldrew

        1. Good grief! A Grateful Dead reference to be found here! Respect sir.
          I’ve been amused recently by a Podcast series “Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast” if that is of any interest to you (and of course Archive dot org for everything live)
          Regards
          John
    2. Reading isn’t an occupation we encourage among police officers. We try to keep the paper work down to a minimum. Joe Orton (1933-67) Loot

      Midas

  8. I thought that the birds had all gone
    I now see that this was a con
    To put in things beaky
    They’ve just become sneaky
    A TRUMPETER is a type of swan
  9. At a SNITCH rating of 59 I expect there will be a few PBs today. My time was pushed out by being unable to see SQUADDIE for several minutes until I finally remembered the rule of trying a Q before a U. My trouble is I do know of this and similar tips but they are not always quick to recall.

    Congrats on the retirement ulaca. Unfortunately I’m still counting down the years to mine!

  10. Wholeheartedly agree with you Ulaca, this is a great, safe space, where diversity is welcomed.

    I retired at 61, never regretted it.

    LATHIs feature heavily in the film GANDHI. I love Treasure Island. I once hitchhiked through ANDORRA, took a whole day and more, even though it is tiny. It snowed, so I stayed the night in a youth hostel.

    Pondered once more on the pronunciation of CADRE. As a young activist we said Kay- der, but I’ve heard it rhymed with padre.

    Took great care this morning, 10′ 12″, thanks for the blog ulaca and thanks to the setter.

  11. 12 minutes with LOI INDWELLER. It didn’t take long at all to recall Alfred Deller as I had never heard of him, but it did take a couple of minutes to come up with the answer. Other than that, no problems. COD to HEEHAW, as it’s such a funny word. A gentle start to the week. Thank you V and setter.
  12. …Back to the house on the fringe of the park.
    20 mins pre-brekker. I liked it, but not keen on Indweller: a strange word and NHO Deller.
    Thanks setter and U.
  13. Lovely blog thanks, Ulaca, and congratulations on your retirement.

    In case you’re interested, I have you down for a PB of 9:40 in July 2017, but this is second on my list. We’re expecting a string of PBs now that you have nothing better to do, of course.

    1. Thanks for that, Snitchmeister. Delighted to be told I’m wrong, which is usually the wife’s job.
    2. Hi Starstruck. I’m a recent rejoiner to the Times Crossword club (covid lockdown…) and am very much enjoying testing myself with times, which led me to your ‘Snitch’, an inspired piece of data-processing detective work. I was trying to find a way of sending you a message telling you I’d changed my username, as it might make life easier to link them, but leaving a comment on here was the only way I could find… many apologies if this is poor etiquette! I confess some confusion about username practices anyway. Anyway, JeffCollins, as was, is now March. All the best, Mark
      1. Hi Mark, thanks for reaching out and there’s no problem with etiquette; you can always send me a Live Journal personal message, but I usually see and respond to replies to my comments.

        I’ve combined your old and new usernames – it’s happened before to others – and noted your TftT name as well. It may take a day or so to appear correctly in my list (and I can’t remember what happens to old entries).

        Thanks for your interest in the SNITCH and good luck with the ongoing lockdown.

  14. 07:08. My 3rd fastest. Very Mondayish! Congratulations on the retirement U, and a whole-hearted endorsement of the sentiments you express about the blog. FOI CADRE but then the answers flowed, and I knew the famous counter-tenor. LOI SQUADDIE. COD to AYRSHIRE as my grandfather was born there.
  15. About 30m today, as I struggled with what were really quite straightforward clues such as squaddie and heehaw. Not an auspicious start to solving nor to posting as live journal tells me my ip address whatever that is is temporarily banned. Congratulations on retiring, U. Few people seem to regret it. Thanks for the blog.
  16. Congrats on the PB and retirement U. I’m coming up to 5 years retired next month and have never regretted it. I started with SULTAN and finished with SILVERSMITH. I may have heard of the countertenor, but certainly didn’t recall him while solving, so INDWELLER went in on a wing and a prayer. DAR ES SALAAM was biffed and reverse engineered. HEEHAW took a while, but LAWYERLY didn’t hold me up. A pleasant romp. 16:28, a quickish time for me, but not up with the elite. I think I’ve had a sub 15, but a sub 10 will, I think, continue to elude me. Thanks setter and U.
  18. Well, off to a flying start to the first week of the New Year, but then ground to a halt in the NE. HEEHAW, CADRE AND INDWELLER all proving problematic. NHO Deller and had bunged in CORPS at 11 ac, not helping matters. Had to look up HEEHAW so technically a DNF.

    I too retired at 61 and six years later can honestly say it was well worth it. Though I did very much enjoy my work.

    I also agree with what you say about the blog U. Keep up the good work, please.

  19. You will be missed! As for today, I was on for a sub-10 I thought and roaring along… and then my mother called… arrrgggg… so 18 mins…
  20. We were making excellent progress until we came to a shuddering halt and just couldn’t get a toehold in the NE corner to finish it off. Never mind, really enjoyed the puzzle and the feeling of satisfaction in solving all but 6 clues across the grid.

    FOI: Andorra
    LOI: heehaw

    Thanks for the blog Ulaca and congratulations on your retirement. We retired at 54 and have loved every minute of our adventures – including learning how to do cryptic crosswords!

  21. What a splendid way to start retirement! Congratulations, ulaca, on both the event and the time. Also, thank you for your wise words… a timely pause for thought and a reminder of the numerous qualities of this internet space. Enjoy your retirement, Bob K.
  22. The trouble with being retired (which has a very vague date for me) is that when you get this thing finished in just over 9 minutes there’s still so much of the rest of the day to fill, especially with our local lockdown intensifying.
    Still we had a fantastic run of crosswords over the weekend, with 2 Jumbos (one an absolute, marvellous, beast), a(n) MCS, a doable Listener and a very cheeky economy rate Mephisto from Tim. So can’t really complain.

    DELLER’s been here before, if not very often. For some reason, YO! DELLER from a couple of years back has stuck in the mind.

    It would not displease me to be in the, um, category of blogger. I do not know of another online space as downright pleasant as this one, and wholly endorse the sentiments above. Perhaps we should work out a way of educating the rest of the Internet.

    1. Which is the bestial Jumbo? I rarely do them but might give if a go, given the endorsement.
        1. Sorry to be late in confirming, but yes, it’s the Saturday one. A few clues that may have escaped from the monthly special. Without giving anything away, 11d was an unexpected treat with a terrific definition for aficionados, and the definition in 20a should be canonised.
  23. First sub 10 minute in a while. Yay! Certainly the first of 2021. I spent over a minute hesitating over Indweller and fully expected to be “pinked”. 2/2 all correct in less than 30 mins.

    COD: ALWAYS.

  24. Congrats Ulaca.
    I retired at 55, with some help and encouragement (so to speak) from the workplace, and the 10 years since have by a country mile been the best of my life, as I hope will be the case with you.This is indeed a good place, and very civilised! Didn’t realise you lived in HK, my great-uncle was the governor there, and (I think) saved some gates which were dear to the population, who named a road or street after him.
    1. Ah, Edward Stubbs, best remembered for the road named after him that has arguably the gnarliest tailbacks in the territory! Checked out the gates story – not familiar with the tale but know the village which was the beneficiary.
  25. Indeed a friendly puzzle for QC-ers …
    … and with several posters on the QC blog encouraging me I have duly “come across”. And have been rewarded with a PB finish in just under 19 minutes too.

    It would have been even faster, but the NE corner held me up unduly. LOI 7D Indweller; NHO either the word or Deller the singer, but with all the checkers it was a reasonable guess. Also forgot Haw the fruit, but again 8D Heehaw was well guessable.

    Congratulations to Ulaca on retirement – I have all but retired but cannot completely close down my private company. It took under 30 minutes to set it up online, and has taken over 30 weeks in the liquidation process so far … and counting! Ah well, we’ll get there in the end.

    Cedric

  27. 7:51. Yes this was easy but there were lots of clues where I felt I ought to check the wordplay to be sure, which slowed me down quite a lot. And then I made one of those silly mistakes that I can’t spot when I check my answers: I followed the wordplay on 22dn but still managed to type AZELIA. I may have been thinking of Azealia Banks.
    So I have yet to solve a weekday cryptic correctly in 2021.
    Congratulations on the retirement, U. I had an extended period of gardening leave recently and it demonstrated to me that – financial considerations aside – there is very little point in retiring as long as you have school-age kids.

    Edited at 2021-01-04 10:39 am (UTC)

    1. Point taken. My sole kid is 24 and when we are all three at home (read, tiny mega expensive flat) together, we can get on each other’s wicks. Mind you, both wife and girl have been working (very hard – on Zoom) from home for nine months, so tensions are necessarily notched up.
      1. I found I didn’t really have the freedom to do the things I might have wanted to do in retirement, because I was tied to home and children have an irritating tendency to need feeding and driving places. I also felt simultaneously a spare part in the household machine and under pressure to contribute in ways I enjoy significantly less than being in the office. Don’t get me wrong it was a wonderful time, and after 20 years in the same job I needed the break, but it wasn’t sustainable. I find this knowledge quite comforting now that I’m working again: even when I’m working hard I know that I’m not really missing out!
  28. I endorse your sentiments regarding TfTT, Ulaca.

    It seems a great many of the contributors are retirees. Now that POTUS is about to be forcibly retired, what are the chances he will take up cryptic crosswords and join us? It might become a less gracious space. Sad!

    15’42”

    1. I think he would be a charming addition to the discussion, but I feel sorry for the crossword editor, having to recalibrate all his times and ‘find ways’ to get him to the top of the leaderboard.
      1. POTUS did contribute to this blog a few times about 18 months ago, but he was voted out by our GoP. It did amuse Guy du Sable who is obviously not a fan.

        Edited at 2021-01-04 02:14 pm (UTC)

  29. the world hangs on a stalk? Let’s hope the former. 15’17 here, unsettled by the ‘outstanding’ synonym till the bill crossed my mind. An admirable word, ‘lawyerly’. A faint gloss to 14 with the character turning up ‘at E’, perhaps. I enjoy this remarkable parade-ground of wheeling letters but somehow disposed to visit it less often hence.
  30. Enjoyable crossword, especially for 27a, a subtle dig at the outgoing US president which made me laugh.
  31. I once saw and heard Alfred Deller, in the last years of his life. He looked like Jimmy Edwards and for some reason put me in mind of an RAF officer. When he sang I was utterly amazed, never having heard a countertenor before, that such a sound was possible. I rather like it, particularly when done by Andreas Scholl.

    Never pronounced it anything but card-er.

  32. I don’t know what my brain was doing this morning. I solved this in just over 10 with all correct but my fingers had other ideas so I wound up with no fewer than 3 typos including a wandering Aztec instead of ARTIC. And I thought I’d proofed it too. Imogen has a good one in that other paper so I’ll console self with that. I certainly endorse U’s sentiments – it’s always a pleasure to come here.
  33. After two weeks away from crosswordland, it was nice to come back with a rare under-ten. A risky endeavour because I was fairly hurling the answers in at the end to beat the clock. I wouldn’t have known Long John Silver was a ship’s cook had I not recently read Treasure Island for the first time – and great fun it was too. Silver, it turns out, is a much more ambivalent character than I had thought. And unlike the rest of the pirates, he survives. Ran an ale-house in Bristol port. Kidnapped and The Master of Ballantrae also proved very enjoyable. There should be a walking route following Alan Breck and David Balfour’s journey. Maybe there is. Spare a thought for us non-retirees who have no prospect of it either as we enter our 60s. Not complaining mind.
  34. but I don’t think that’s really the case any more, as the various restrictions have meant I have more time on my hands, and I’m getting through 2 to 3 crosswords every day.

    11 mins exactly for me, which is my 2nd or 3rd best time ever I think. ETA and INDWELLER were the last 2 in, and INDWELLER was very much with a shrug and an expectation of pink square/s.

  35. Think this is my second fastest time.

    After a nondescript first round, had six acrosses, the downs being much better. The second pass completed most of the grid except the NE corner, where it took CADRE and HEEHAW to unlock the rest.

    Unparsed: SILVERSMITH (the checkers for SMITH were there so I biffed the rest)

    NHO: DELLER and wasn’t sure of LATHI either though could see the hidden.

    Congrats to you Ulaca – enjoy your retirement – now fewer than four years until I cross the finishing line.

    Edited at 2021-01-04 11:51 am (UTC)

  36. The QC blog said this was approachable and I had most of it done in 20 minutes. However I was another who found the NE hard.
    I spent another 20 minutes failing to get CADRE, ETA and INDWELLER so came here for enlightenment. I had ITA for an Italian who might arrive at 1pm.
    Thanks ULACA for your many helpful blogs. This site has got me a long way down the solving road.
    David
  37. Just a few words of enormous thanks to all the bloggers/contributors on this most prestigious of sites.. You must spend an absolute age writing up your informative and erudite blogs for the delectation and education of your appreciative readers. Keep up the fantastic work! Happy retirement, Ulaca.

    Cheers. Jovan (An occasional contributor).

  38. If it was my comment that was the subject of Ulaca’s characteristically gracious acknowledgment, can I please be redefined as “occasional contributor “ rather than a lurker. One has to be so careful these days 😊.

    Plain sailing in 16m with a momentary dither over LAWYERLY but nothing else.

    1. The great thing is you can pop in and out at your leisure, and someone will always misconstrue you. Just like a real conversation. Heartwarming!
  39. In tribute to Ulaca’s sage endorsement of this place I managed the exact same time. Would have been quicker but for doubts over INDWELLER. By coincidence, I came across LATHI in another crossword not half an hour ago so that was pleasingly fresh in my mind.

    A gentle start to the year. As someone once said, let’s hope it’s a good one.

  40. So often you brighten my day. Astronowt.
    But one has slipped past you today, there is a bird called a Sultan Tit
  41. Also hoping for a PB but initially mistyping CHURLSIH put paid to that.

    As a relative newcomer I can only echo Ulaca’s gracious comments.

    Thanks to both setter and blogger.

  42. 12.00 . A nice introduction to the first Monday of the year. Not too demanding but some good cluing. NHO the countertenor Deller and wasn’t entirely convinced of the persistent bit but didn’t look like the answer could be anything elseat 7 dn.

    FOI sultan, LOI drifter. Honourable mentions for always and hydrate.

    Thanks setter and blogger.

  43. I came to this mid afternoon after 9 holes of golf (allowed in 2’s) with sore eyes from the freezing wind. So reading the small type took longer than usual. Nevertheless I motored quickly though it until, like others, the NE corner remained, then HEEHAW was sorted and ETA. I’ve never heard of Mr Deller and could find no word to fit so came here to learn about countertenors.

    Enjoy retirement, ulaca. I had 3 goes at it; in 1994, then 2002, then 2007 when I finally got to the point when the people who might pay me to do something were all retired, or retiring. I’ve never been bored; would have retired at 30 if I had been able to afford it.

  44. Not quite a PB as I believe in the dim and distant I managed a couple of sub-10’s. Having consulted the SNITCH prior to starting and having got off to a good start, I then started biffing for England. After deciding the letter must be ETA, I bunged in INDWELLER as my LOI with fingers crossed as Deller is a name I have to date only associated with darts.
  45. …. Deller I might have avoided a minor delay in the NE corner.

    FOI DAR ES SALAAM
    LOI SQUADDIE
    COD CHURLISH
    TIME 6:40

    Edited at 2021-01-04 05:44 pm (UTC)

  46. Over an hour for me – but then I’m really still a Quickie having a go at the harder stuff! Thanks, blogger, for help in parsing INDWELLER and SPECTATOR, both if which I biffed. And I hope you enjoy your retirement as much as I’m revelling in mine! Learning to do Cryptic Crosswords was one of my retirement projects (as well as learning Welsh).
    1. I can’t speak a word of Welsh really, but learning eight songs in Welsh for a massed Welsh Male Voice Choirs event in 2008 was one of the highlights of my choral career. Pob Lwc!
      1. Diolch! My husband and I have managed to become fairly fluent in Welsh since retirement and it’s been a brilliant experience. I think it will be a while before I can attempt a cryptic Welsh crossword! Welsh Scrabble is good fun though.
  47. with the usual doze in the middle. All easy until HEEHAW and ETA took a while, which left me with the strange INDWELLER, a DNK with another DNK. However there was nothing else it could be so in it went. I think 4 or 5 of these went in as unparsed biffs.
    COD and WOD HEEHAW

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