Daily Telegraph Cryptic 29196
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from a mostly dried out Vega Baja. If you’re wondering where I´ve been for the last few weeks I refer you to my last blog on 5th September where I said that the weather forecast for the next few days was looking a bit dodgy. Well, dodgy didn’t begin to cover it! On 12-13th September the Vega Baja and many other parts of the Communitat Valenciana experienced what turned out to be, and by quite some margin, the heaviest rainfall ever recorded. On the Vega Baja most of the irrigation canals overflowed, the Rio Segura broke its banks big time in Orihuela and at Algorfa the river´s retaining wall simply collapsed under the unprecedented weight of water, sending a sort of tidal wave into Almoradí. Widespread flooding was the result with the damage estimated in the billions of Euros. In El Saladar the water in the street rose to a depth of 1.2m and inside our house it was 73cm deep. As it´s a bungalow that means everywhere was flooded including the bedrooms. I missed it all as I was in the UK visiting the aged parent but I got back to Spain on the evening of 16th September to find that the village had been evacuated on the morning of the 13th and pommette was dossing at a friend´s apartment in a dry bit of Almoradì, with the three cats banged up in another friend’s conservatory. At least she´d got our new car and the cats out in time and a very helpful Guardia Civil chap had lifted her brand new mobility scooter onto a kitchen worktop so that it survived as well! It was Weds 18th before the water had receded enough to get back into the village and the contents of our house are pretty much a write-off. We spent the next three weeks staying in a borrowed holiday apartment while we started the drying out and clean-up operations. We’re back home now but I reckon it will be Xmas before we’re anything like straight. If you like horror movies look here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PT_8f3hjjo or key “floods Spain 2019” into YouTube.
Anyway, enough of my woes and on to today´s puzzle. I´m not sure of the setter but it´s not RayT as he’s in the Toughie slot today. I thought it a fairly benign but quite enjoyable puzzle, just right for my return to blogging duties.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29148
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Hola from the Vega Baja where summer is continuing, although the forecast for the next few days looks a bit iffy. Still it’s pretty hot and sunny and the moment so I’m not complaining. I’m not sure what to make of this puzzle. I got eight of the acrosses and ten of the downs on first pass but of those eighteen answers fifteen of them went in the right hand side, which was completely full, but the left hand side was nearly empty. The remaining answers put up something of a fight before revealing themselves so it’s ** for the right and **** for the left so *** on average. I don’t know who the setter is but whoever it is has a liking for charades and thinking up original anagram indicators. I enjoyed the tussle and had a few good penny drop moments.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29136
Hints and tips by a mostly dried out pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from a rather soggy Vega Baja. No, I’ve not signed the pledge (as if I ever would) but I have dried out a bit. In the early hours of yesterday we had over four inches of rain in about two hours so everywhere was more than a bit moist. At least the weather has since returned to normal service and both me and the village have (mostly) dried out. It don’t rain here very often but when it does it’s best to batten down the hatches and make sure the drains are running free.
I don’t know who today’s setter is but he or she has provided us with a very nice puzzle with more than a usual number of cryptic definitions. It’s not too tricky and there a few anagrams to give you a start if you need it. I really enjoyed it so I’ll be interested to hear your views of it.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29118
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Hola from the Vega Baja. I’m pretty sure that today’s puzzle is from RayT but it must rank as the easiest he’s ever produced. I have to give it only one star for difficulty because I got twelve out of the sixteen across clues on first pass and then every one of the downs. The unsolved four of the acrosses then just filled themselves in without much thought. Hey ho, I suppose you’re all going to tell me how hard it was but I can only call it as I see it. Continue reading “DT 29118”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29106
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from an extremely hot Vega Baja where summer is in full spate. At least it’s not quite as hot now as it was during the recent much-publicised European heatwave. It got to 39°C here last Sunday but today it’s back to a more manageable 31°C with less humidity. Anyway, to the puzzle – this one just has to be a RayT production as all his hallmarks are there including some rather overstretched synonyms, lurkers, first letter clue and, of course, an appearance by HRH. I thought it was a bit tricky but I liked it quite a lot but I bet a lot of you will disagree as is usual on a Thursday. Over to you for comments . . . Continue reading “DT 29106”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29094
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
Hola from a warm and sunny Los Alcázares. Our last clients went home early Tuesday morning and the next ones don’t arrive until this evening so pommette and I get a to have three day holiday. The only problem being that it’s been windy enough to blow a dog off its chain. As to the crossword I’m certain it’s a RayT production and one I don’t think you’ll have too much trouble with. There’s a few gimmes and some anagrams to give a good start but watch out for some quite clever bits of misdirection. I really enjoyed it and thought it the best RayT for some time so have given it a fifth star. However it might just be that I’m in an exceedingly good mood ‘cos I’m on hols. Continue reading “DT 29094”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29076
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from a not very summery Vega Baja. I thought summer had well and truly arrived after four days of over 30°C temperatures but then yesterday I had to get my long trousers out of the wardrobe again. Apparently normal service will be resumed by tomorrow.
I’m not sure who today’s setter is but if it’s proXimal then he’s definitely turned the wick down after his last couple. I really sped through this one and it very nearly came out as just a one star difficulty. It will be interesting to see if you all agree or whether I was just on top form this morning.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29064
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Hola from the Vega Baja on a bright and sunny morning. I’m not certain who today’s setter is but I suspect it’s proXimal the X-man because we have here a pangram apart from it’s missing an X. I thought it a tad on the tricky side, especially the NW corner, but it was the usual quality entertainment.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29046
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from the Vega Baja where summer has arrived for a few days at least. Nearly 30°C yesterday and going to be hotter today apparently. For mid-May that’ a big “phew”.
Anyway, to the puzzle. This one has to be a RayT as all the signs are there, including some stretched synonyms that are just about this side of breaking point. Overall I thought it was a tricky little rascal and nearly went for **** difficulty but there are a few gimmes and two long anagrams to give plenty of checkers so it worked out OK in the end. I quite enjoyed the tussle though and I’ll be interested to see what you all reckon to it.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29022
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Hola from the Vega Baja. I’m pretty sure that this puzzle is a RayT as all the usual signs are there but the anagram count seems a bit higher than usual. I make it five which is no doubt good news for many solvers. It seemed to me to be at the more benign end of RayT’s difficulty range but I’m sure a lot of you will disagree.
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