Monthly Prize Puzzle (Apr 2020)
Where From? by Alchemi
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Why not have a go at our latest Monthly Prize Puzzle?
The winner will receive their choice of any of the Telegraph Crossword Books.
Please note that, due to punitive postal charges, while the competition is open to all, the prize is only available to UK solvers.
A review will follow after the closing date (18th Apr 2019).
The competition is now closed
The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
Please read the instructions carefully.
I’ve left this post open for comments, but if you don’t want your comment to be deleted then do not provide any help for other solvers or mention any detail about the puzzle, especially references to individual clues, until after the closing date.
Needed to use Google to help understand the answer as it was all new territory to me but I did get it all sorted eventually and enjoyed the trip.
Thanks Alchemi.
Well that was fun! I needed the song & recording artists to get some of the substitutions! And to be able to enter the place names ..
I imagine Jane will find it disorienting not having clear definitions again …
well done Alchemi, many thanks. Have entered my answer.
Only had chance to give it a cursory look thus far – you may well be right, Dutch………….
Yep – you were right! Thought I was almost there but I’m left with two answers missing and checkers that refuse to produce ‘real’ words. As for the song title, artists of same and their itinerary – snowballs and hell spring to mind!
I think you’ve got me this time, Alchemi!
OK – so I’ve ‘cheated’ by putting random combinations of letters into the most likely place I could think of – paid off in spades but I still didn’t know the song, artists or places! Certainly going to be interested in discovering how our setter justified all the required letters, I’m definitely a couple short at the moment.
I should just say thank you, Alchemi, but what I really want to know is – why on earth did you do this to us?!!
I did it because other people obviously enjoyed it.
I doubt that you could have known that in advance but I’m certainly pleased that you got some good response. Please forgive me for being facetious!
Setters use test solvers to find out whether puzzles are any good. At least two MPPs of mine have been altered, sometimes quite significantly, following the reaction to the first version.
I expect 95% of people will have to google ” TITLE ARTIST lyrics”, but that’s not the most burdensome task.
Like Dutch, that was fun. I did notice another city in the lyrics, but it was not on the itinerary. Thanks Alchemi.
Thanks to Alchemi for setting a very interesting puzzle. I liked particularly 5a, 16a, 17a and 5d. I also came to learn through the Google more about the four places which sound truly beautiful and which helped me to complete the grid and submit the required answer.
Luckily for me I am familiar with both the artists and the song although I did need to check the exact spellings of three of the four cities. They were a truly great band in the 70s, and still are even without their iconic founder frontman.
Very well done and thank you, Alchemi.
I could do with a crossword like this everyday.
Lovely challenge.
I did exactly what was asked and wrote down the appropriate letter next to the mispelled clues, an interrogation mark next to the ones that didn’t make sense and a tick next to the normal clues. I ended up with the required 16 letters, 3 undefined and 13 ticks.
So, that”s at least 13 ticks for you Alchemi.
A bit of Google and I was there to complete the puzzle.
Thanks for the fun.
That was great fun, never heard of the song nor singer but it is always good to learn. My thanks to Alchemi for an excellent puzzle.
Enjoyed that very much.
Had never heard of either the song or the artist, but that made it even better.
Thank you!
Wow, what a blast from the past. Not only a brilliant puzzle, but an great hour on you tube. Thanks Alchemi.
Late to the party, but just in time! Another tour de force from Alchemi, I got the answer about half way through when one of the towns dropped out. I’ve managed to solve all the clues now, however. Never heard of the band, song, or any of the 3 towns in the puzzle….!