Vintage Series Puzzle No. 1
Posted by Gazza
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We’re not going to be blogging this first puzzle in the Telegraph’s Vintage series but do feel free to add your comments and queries about it below. It’s interesting to see how the Telegraph crossword started but this is really just a large ‘Quick’ puzzle with an over-generous dose of GK. I don’t like doing Quick puzzles (and I only solve the standard daily one down far enough to get the pun) so I didn’t enjoy this and I gave up when I’d completed about half of it. Did you do any better and what did you think of it?
However, we do intend to blog the puzzles when the series becomes more ‘cryptic’ than ‘quick’. To that end we’d like to invite you (i.e. anyone who doesn’t blog regularly) the opportunity to write a one-off blog for one of the puzzles. All you’d need in software terms is Microsoft Word – we’d send you a Word document with the clues pre-set in it and all you’d have to do is add the hints and answers without any great time pressure then send the document back for us to publish. So, what do you think? This is your opportunity to achieve fame by blogging a Telegraph puzzle without any long-term commitments. Blogging is fun so I hope that a number of you will put your hands up! Let us know below whether you’re interested and which days you could do.
Sorry to be stupid, but where is the puzzle?!
Found it! Looks a bit boring to me and not very cryptic!
For anybody else wondering, a new ‘Vintage Crossword’ section of the Telegraph Puzzles site has appeared.
Even if comments from Gazza and others have put you off bothering to try solving it, it’s worth clicking through for a vintage photograph and a paragraph about the early puzzles.
We can safely assume that we’ll get puzzles which are far more interesting and to our taste in the next 29 puzzles in this series.
Bah. I messed up the link. Try: ‘Vintage Crossword’ section of the Telegraph Puzzles site.
That is the puzzle.
It’s on the DT Puzzles Site, but according to the item posted here last week it should also be in the paper. See
It is in the paper. So far I have solved three. It’s just a large Quick Crossword. How did this develop into cryptic guzzles?
I disagree that it’s a large quick crossword — it’s 9 small quick crosswords! The different sections don’t overlap at all.
Good point.
Like Gazza I gave up about half way through, perhaps less. If I had been around 100 years ago it would probably have put me off crosswords for life!
Must admit that, fired up by the hype, I opened the puzzle this morning, recognised it for what it was / would be, and closed it again.
Aren’t we fortunate that the puzzle evolved into a cryptic form?
Looking forward to the rest of the celebratory puzzles, it must be said.
My thoughts exactly.
Well I did finish it but not very enjoyable. Agree that we are fortunate the cryptic form has evolved.
Made me think a bit laterally at times. Anything military relates to the time of WW1. Roll on tomorrow!
I found it interesting that many of the answers still appear regularly, almost monotonously, today. For example, Etna, ere and apse. I was surprised that ‘Ta’ made an appearance as I believe it’s not universally liked. Impossible to answer, I know, but I wonder what the readers of 100 years ago would make of the cryptic puzzles of today. They would probably give up very, very quickly! I look forward to the more challenging puzzles that will follow.
So, are you going to volunteer to blog one of them?
No way. Far above my pay gradeI am in awe of all you bloggers and your abilities, But thanks for asking.
Oh it’s not cryptic , I’ll give it a miss for now. No doubt back in the day it was deemed to be something new and exciting. As said above , we are so lucky to have the wonderful puzzles we have today thanks to many many clever people.
Just finished but not without help. Am I correct in thinking that, these days, two letter answers are not used? I can’t see folk getting excited over this but it has to be remembered it was new and times were very different. I wonder if the change to cryptic took place gradually with the occasional cryptic clue being introduced at first. Maybe the letters page of the time were inundated with “Love the cryptic clues. More please!”
I’ve printed it off. It’s not cryptic but the grid looks quite attractive on a printed page…
I agree that it must have been very exciting when it first appeared.
Like Jenny, I am most grateful we have our wonderful setters and their super crosswords — and, of course, the sites that publish them.
A particular rosette to the Telegraph and the other national media who take on new unpublished setters.
Warmest congratulations and huge appreciation!
I wonder if the D-Day landings puzzle will feature.
Two half crowns from the back of my sock drawer says it will!
From Chris Lancaster’s Puzzles Newsletter yesterday:
Ah, I’ve yet to read the newsletter. Thanks, Smylers.
Well I completed it but didn’t really enjoy it. Too many two letter clues which could really be anything and some obscure words which were probably common usage 100 years ago. Let us hope the later vintage ones are more what we are familiar with.
Did half of this, but decided watching the grass grow was more interesting. Happy to blog more cryptic offerings in future, just send me the link, Gazza, and I’ll have a look. No prizes on offer, but usual naughty step rules…
That’s excellent, Rossophile, are there any days of the week that you can’t do? When the Vintage puzzles get somewhat more ‘cryptic’ than ‘quick’ I’ll be in touch again.
Monday’s and weekends tricky. Not here this Friday. I enjoyed Vintage 3 today, which was more familiarly cryptic. Didn’t like the four 3-letter clues. I wonder when it was published?
Maybe I could try a few practice puzzles before going live?
Hi Rossophile,
I sent you a couple of emails yesterday. Did you get them or did they disappear into your spam folder?