Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31130
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** Enjoyment ****
Good morning and welcome to my first blog as an official member of the BD blogging team, although it’s my fourth effort overall – I blogged three of the vintage puzzles last summer, so I should be getting the hang of it by now! Many thanks to Gazza for inviting me to become a regular blogger, and to Shabbo, from whom I’m taking over (albeit on a Wednesday rather than a Thursday). I wish him well in his new role as a DT puzzle compiler.
I felt this puzzle to be the hardest of the week so far, finishing in just over 3* time. I especially liked the cricketing legend in 9a, the ursine visitor in 1d and the boring old Conservative in 18a, but my COD has to be the eccentric mind in 28a. Many thanks to today’s setter.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and indicator words (e.g. anagram indicators) are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons.